


The Art of Almost

by Requiem



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, F/M, Happy Endings For Everyone, M/M, and a bunch of mostly nameless wardens, except Corypheus screw that guy, minor appearances by the rest of the inner circle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-03-29 21:10:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3910807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Requiem/pseuds/Requiem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Felix is a Grey Warden and Dorian heads for the south after a falling out with his father. The world falls apart anyway, but with some help they can start piecing it back together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Adamant

_Felix,_

_I’m afraid this might be my last letter to you for a while. My father has decided I am no use to him as I am, and has resorted to drastic measures I never thought he would take. You understand why I cannot stay. I did not wish to impose on your father so I make my way south, perhaps to make a change for once instead of trying to single-handedly dismantle the Imperium from the inside._

_I hear the war between the mages and the templars is getting worse, and I have suspicions that some of our countrymen seek to inflame the situation. Wretched as this country is, I don’t believe it beyond saving. So I do this as much for Tevinter as I do for me._

_I dare not send anything to your father, and I hate to ask, but if you could throw in a word or two for me it would be dearly appreciated. I would hate for Gereon to think this some childish tantrum or flight of fancy. Please stay safe. I will write to you as soon as I can._

_Dorian._

  
  
Even just holding the sealed letter, Felix knew something was wrong. It was stamped with the House Pavus crest and Felix’s name was clearly written in Dorian’s handwriting, if somewhat messier than usual, but the letters Dorian usually wrote him were long and rambling. He had explained it as giving Felix something interesting to read while holed up in the “freezing cold and utterly dull, Felix, I can feel the despair seeping out of the stonework from here" Grey Warden fortress. Still, Felix thanked the courier with a smile and dismissed them so he could read the letter in peace.

  
  
It was… well, unfortunately he couldn’t say the turn of events was completely unexpected. Halward had been getting increasingly desperate for Dorian to get married lest the rumours start circulating in force; Dorian was nearing too old to remain an unmarried single heir of such a high-ranking house, having avoided it thus far by throwing himself into his studies. Felix had escaped all that by contracting the taint, but it wasn’t something he would recommend to Dorian – the idiot might actually try it.

  
  
Speaking of idiocy, what was Dorian thinking, telling Felix to stay safe while he himself ran south, likely with no supplies, or a better plan than ‘make things better’? For all of Dorian’s disparaging remarks about about Tevinter and its citizens, he was hopelessly idealistic sometimes.

  
  
Felix sighed and locked the letter away in his desk drawer along with his other correspondences. He would definitely write to his father and ask him how Halward was going to explain away Dorian’s absence. But there was also, of course, the issue of spies that he had to handle delicately. Felix wasn’t so naive as to think that Halward had no spies in the Alexius household, and after Dorian’s disappearing act, any letters from Felix would definitely be scrutinised for information.

  
  
For all that they liked to ignore what had become of him, Dorian told him that they still occasionally talked about him back home, usually when all other sources of gossip had run dry.

"'Poor Alexius. With his wife dead and his son exiled to the Grey Wardens, he must be awfully lonely.' Exiled, Felix! They actually said that!" Dorian threw his hands up, leaning back in his chair.

"Perhaps they’d prefer me dead," Felix had joked.

"You wouldn't be nearly as exciting, then. Whatever would they talk about?" Dorian's chair landed on four legs with a thunk.

"Oh I don’t know. You, for a change?" Felix smiled fondly at Dorian. This was a game they'd apparently taken up recently: talking about things without talking about things.

"I could never take that away from you."

They’d laughed and skirted around more unsaid issues and drunk wine until they couldn’t stand then parted ways the next morning, Dorian to Minrathous and Felix to Weisshaupt.

 

That was about six months ago, and Felix hadn’t seen anyone from his old life since then. He still went on regular patrols with the other Grey Wardens, but most of them were trying to leave their pasts behind and start anew, so they didn’t have much to talk about. One could only go on about darkspawn and the weather for so long. As such, Felix's letters to his father and to Dorian tended to be more or less the same as the last:  
  
_Woke up. Trained. Went looking for darkspawn. Found darkspawn. Killed darkspawn._

 

No matter how many darkspawn they slew and how many people and townships they saved, mostly without their knowledge, the Grey Wardens hardly ever received recognition outside of the Blights. When they weren’t expected to play hero, they more or less faded into the background, pushed to the back of everyone's memories. Felix supposed there were worse fates.

  
  
Three weeks later, news of the disastrous results of the Divine Conclave reached Weisshaupt. The Wardens were talking about it over breakfast in the mess hall, discussing theories about how it happened and speculating who the next Divine would be. No doubt there was someone taking bets too, but Felix usually wasn’t invited to partake in those activities.

 

The novelty faded over the course of the week, and another six weeks passed before more news came from the south: Haven, the stronghold of the budding Inquisition, had been destroyed by an ancient darkspawn and what appeared to be an Archdemon. That got the talk started again, louder and more frantic than before. Felix caught a few of the other Wardens looking at him before quickly averting their gaze, and small groups whispering amongst themselves would suddenly quiet when he walked within earshot.

 

"There were no darkspawn in the invading force," Warden-Commander Gerin announced at breakfast the next day. "This is not a Blight."

 

This didn't stop the whispers or furtive glances though, and Felix had almost resigned himself to just ignoring them until the mood blew over, as it always did, when one of the other Wardens took pity on him.

"The darkspawn who led the attack on Haven is called Corypheus. You may also know him as one of the magisters who entered the Black City,” Rhuil said. She was an elf who’d joined the Grey Wardens after getting fed up with running from slavers and had always been at least amiable towards Felix even when the others regarded him with suspicion. She was probably trying to prove something to herself, but as long as it wasn’t an elaborate plot to gain Felix’s trust then stab him in the back, he’d take what he could get.

"That's what's gotten everyone worked up?"

"Well there's also the part where his advancing army was made up of rebel mages and Tevinter zealots. They call themselves the Venatori."

"Ah."

They must be who Dorian had been referring to in his last letter. When Felix had left Tevinter nearly two years ago, the Venatori had been a new movement, mostly made up of disgruntled, older magisters who constantly talked about Tevinter's past glory days and did their best to block every reform that passed through the Senate. Apparently, they'd gained more support since then. But to actually invade the south? And under the command of a darkspawn?

"I –"

"Don’t worry about it, Alexius. They just like to talk, you know? Keeps them busy. Half the time they don't even know what they're saying." Rhuil rolled her eyes.

Felix gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

 

The talk continued, but they didn't see any more action than usual at Weisshaupt until a week later. Felix had just returned from a patrol to find most of the Wardens gathered outside the Warden-Commander's office and trying hard to act casually.

"The Hero of Ferelden is here," one of them whispered to Felix's patrol.

"Here, her title is Warden-Commander Amell," a Senior Warden corrected. "And we should all return to our duties instead of standing around eavesdropping."

Nobody moved.

"The Warden-Commander wants to go south," a Warden by the door said.

"Which one?" another asked drily.

"Amell. She says the King of Ferelden sent her a letter –"

"King Alistair? Wasn't he a Grey Warden once?"

"He fought in the last Blight alongside Warden-Commander Amell!"

Somebody tried to call for quiet, but before the crowd settled down, the door swung open.

 

Warden-Commander Amell strode out and everyone scrambled to look like they weren't just listening to her conversation with Gerin. She seemed a little surprised to see them there, but only smiled and shook her head. Gerin, on the other hand, glared at them as they scattered.

 

Amell joined them for dinner that night, sitting next to Gerin and talking to him quietly throughout the meal. Just before everyone started leaving, she stood up and called for their attention.

 

"By now you must all be aware of the situation growing in the south. This is no Blight, not yet, but I have come to ask for a contingent of Wardens to accompany me back to Ferelden. The Warden presence there is still weak and I don't want a repeat of what happened the last time there was a Blight and we didn't wait for reinforcements. Those interested should speak with Warden-Commander Gerin and start packing. We leave tomorrow at first light."

 

The hall broke into excited murmurs as Warden-Commander Amell took her leave. From what Felix could hear, most of the Wardens were reluctant to leave, having come from the surrounding lands and wanting to be around to defend their homes if there was to be a Blight. Felix, on the other hand, wasn't so worried about Tevinter. Who he was worried about was Dorian, who hadn't written since telling Felix of his flight from home. With any luck he would have managed to join up with the Inquisition and hopefully still be alive.

 

Felix joined the line outside the Warden-Commander's office, which mostly consisted of those looking for something interesting to do and those who wanted to see the Archdemon or darkspawn magister up close. He received a few curious looks from them, but thankfully no one seemed interested in questioning his motives.

 

The Warden-Commander, however, raised his eyebrows so high his eyes became comically large.

"I don't want to think the worst, so just reassure me you aren't going south to join your countrymen."

Felix almost sighed, but in the years he'd been here, Gerin had been nothing but fair to him. He didn't even have to take Felix in to begin with, so that had to count for something. "Not those ones. You remember my friend who brought me here with my father?"

"Vaguely."

"He left home about three months ago when he heard rumours about a cult looking to get involved in the war between the mages and templars." It wouldn't hurt to twist the truth a little. "I was hoping to see if he'd made it, and perhaps lend him a hand in redeeming our homeland."

Gerin's eyebrows finally dropped back down to a more reasonable position. "See that you do. Just know that if you break your oaths, the only place you'll be welcome amongst us again is in the Deep Roads."

"I understand."

"Best get packing, then." Gerin wrote something down on the paper in front of him.

"Thank you, ser." Felix bowed and left the office.

 

Dawn saw him at the front gate with about two dozen Wardens ready to leave and just as many wrapped up in cloaks and blankets, there to see their friends off. Warden-Commander Gerin was there too, but he didn't say much, just nodded at each Warden as they passed through the gates and wished them a safe journey. Warden-Commander Amell stood next to him familiarising herself with the faces of her party, but she took the lead once everyone was outside.

 

"It'll take us about a month to get to Ferelden assuming we don't run into any trouble along the way," she said. "I just hope we're not too late."

"So is the dragon really an Archdemon?" somebody asked.

"I hate to disappoint, but you probably know more than I do; I've been out of the country for years. Alistair only wrote to me because Venatori had driven his uncle out of Redcliffe and seized control of the rebel mages. And with the templars gone rogue, he thought it best if I went back to lead the Grey Wardens until the situation was more under control. The darkspawn thing is new to me."

"But nobody's seen any darkspawn yet, that's the thing," someone else said. "Usually we see darkspawn first, then the Archdemon."

Amell frowned. "I had the most vivid dreams about the last Archdemon before it ever appeared. Maybe I've been away for too long, but I'd like to think that I'd know if an Archdemon was around. Maybe it's not a true Archdemon, just a corrupted dragon Corypheus is using to scare us?"

"Well it's working – the people are all convinced a Blight is upon us no matter what we tell them."

"At least they've got us?"

"Not that they'll appreciate it, but at least they've got us."

 

They travelled south-east, taking the most direct route to Ferelden, but halfway through their journey while crossing the Fields of Ghislain, they were approached by soldiers wearing a heraldry Felix did not recognise.

"Warden-Commander Amell?" one of the soldiers asked.

"That's me. Identify yourselves." Amell nudged her horse forward, meeting the soldier in the middle ground between the two parties. She had one hand holding the reins of her horse, the other resting on her thigh where it would be easy to reach around for her staff.

"Inquisition scouts. We bring you urgent news from Sister Nightingale." The scout held out a scroll.

"Leliana?" The tension disappeared as Amell took the scroll without hesitation. But as she read it, her expression changed from eager to dismayed.

"We have a camp nearby if you wish to join us," the scout offered.

"Yes, I think that would be best." Amell turned to address the Wardens. "I'll tell you all what the letter says when we make camp. You'll want to be sitting down, trust me."

 

Amell pulled out the letter that evening when they were all seated around a campfire next to the Inquisition camp.

"I'll just say it, I suppose," she started, rolling the letter back and forth in her hands. "Every Warden in Orlais is hearing the Calling."

This prompted startled exclamations, but Amell waved them silent.

"It gets worse, just wait until I'm finished." She unrolled the letter. "They got desperate, fearing what would happen if there were no Grey Wardens left in Orlais. A magister by the name of Erimond offered them a solution: use blood magic to summon enough demons to march an army into the Deep Roads to kill the Old Gods. No Old Gods, no Blights."

"And Clarel agreed to this madness?" somebody asked.

"Apparently so. But since Erimond is working for Corypheus, every mage who summons a demon is bound to his will. Effectively his slaves, as it were."

This got people shouting and jumping to their feet; some defended Clarel while others condemned her decision. Erimond. Livius Erimond of Vyrantium, if Felix recalled correctly. It had been some time since he'd had dealings with the Magisterium, after all. Dorian might know more, considering he'd studied at the Vyrantium Circle. Felix hoped he was well, wherever he was.

"The Inquisition is launching an assault on Adamant Fortress in the Western Approach," Amell continued once there was quiet. "We'll be meeting them there."

"Is that really a good idea? What with all that's happening with the Orlesian Wardens..."

"Then it's especially important for us to show up and present a good image of the Wardens. Just ignore the Calling if you hear it, and don't use any blood magic."

  
They went south and then took the Imperial Highway as far west as they could, the Inquisition's substantial presence in Orlais providing them with supplies and fresh mounts when necessary. It still took them two weeks to reach Adamant Fortress, but when they arrived, the siege was still going strong.

 

The doors had been broken through and ladders secured to the walls, so it just a matter of taking down whatever came out. Waves of demons surged at them, summoned by the Warden mages being held thrall. Any attempts at trying to get through to the mages had only resulted in blank stares. It was unsettling, to say the least, having to fight someone wearing the same uniform.

 

When the Inquisition’s reinforcements arrived, the Wardens moved deeper into the fortress. There they encountered more of the Orlesian Wardens, those capable of doing so surrendering almost on sight. Some of them recognised Amell and tried to explain or apologise, but she just shouted at them to get to work killing demons.

 

When they finally made their way to the main hall, the fighting was over. For some reason a crowd of both Wardens and Inquisition soldiers had amassed there, but it parted for them when the Warden-Commander made her presence known.

 

A woman in plate armour was standing on the dais, speaking to one of the Wardens. Inquisitor Trevelyan, Felix presumed after seeing the faint green glow coming from her left hand.

"In war, victory. And we are still at war. Do you believe the Wardens can still help?" She stared down the Warden, posture stiff and one hand on the pommel of her sword.

"I do, Your Worship," he replied, looking appropriately cowed.

"You’re still vulnerable to Corypheus, but there are plenty of demons that need killing."

"While they do that, I’ll inform the Wardens at Weisshaupt what’s happened. Best they not get caught off guard," said a bearded man with blood smeared across the bridge of his nose.

"Good idea," Warden-Commander Amell said. All attention turned to her.

"Why if it isn’t my cousin, the Hero of Ferelden." The man's previously grim expression lightened a little as he gave Amell a tired smile.

"Why if it isn’t my cousin, the Champion of Kirkwall." Amell returned the smile.

"Impressive titles run in the family, it seems."

Hawke and Amell crossed the space between them to embrace.

Then, "Felix?"

Across the dais, almost lost in the sea of Inquisition uniforms was… "Dorian?"


	2. Skyhold

Dorian didn’t spot him at first; just one more Warden uniform amongst many of the disgraced order, gathered to hear their fate. Dorian's attention had drifted while Evelyn made a decision, but the appearance of the Hero of Ferelden brought him back. She and Hawke were cousins, were they? Small world. Dorian scanned the Warden-Commander’s party out of curiosity, and did a double take when he saw a familiar face.

"Felix?" he blurted out, almost instantly regretting his impulsiveness.

Maybe it had just been his imagination, born of exhaustion or a yearning to see an old friend after having gone through such a harrowing experience. Even if it was Felix, he probably couldn't even hear Dorian over the noise, probably wouldn't be able to see him in the crowd... but the Warden Dorian had his eyes on turned his head immediately, looking for whoever had called his name.

"Dorian?"

 

Hawke and Amell had drawn most of the crowd's attention, so nobody paid much mind to a Grey Warden and an Inquisition agent slipping away. Dorian ducked into a half-crumbled alcove where they would be out of sight but not hearing, and Felix joined him not a moment later.

"Felix," Dorian repeated, unable to think of anything else that was remotely coherent. He dearly wanted to touch Felix, hold onto him until he was sure this was real, but he didn't want to seem too forward. It had been over half a year since they'd met and people changed and he didn't want Felix to turn away when he'd just arrived -

"Dorian!” Felix didn't seem to have the same qualms, pulling Dorian into a crushing hug. “Maker, you’re alright.”

Well that was unexpected. Dorian scrambled for something to say. “Why Felix, I didn’t know you cared,” he mumbled into Felix's shoulder. The metal links of his uniform were digging into Dorian's cheek, but he was _here_ , solid and real in the middle of this whole mess. Maker, don't let them still be in the Fade.

Felix pulled back a little so Dorian could see the exasperated look on his face. “Don’t be ridiculous. You go south and the world falls apart? Of course I’d find you in the middle of it all.”

Felix let him go and Dorian was glad for the darkness so Felix couldn’t see how taken aback he was. "I'm sorry I didn't write to you," Dorian said guiltily. In between racing to Haven to warn them about the Venatori then fleeing through the mountains from Corypheus, it had never crossed his mind.

"No matter. We've been on the road for a month anyway, it wouldn't have reached me."

"I've missed you," Dorian finally said. It wasn't all of what he wanted to say to Felix, but it was a start. He'd been trying to do more of that lately.

"I've missed you too."

There was a moment of silence between them, broken by the sounds of a crowd dispersing.

“Where are you going now?” Dorian asked.

"I don't know, we're under the command of Warden-Commander Amell. She came to Weisshaupt a month ago and said King Alistair had asked her to return to Ferelden. We only heard of the siege two weeks ago when we met Inquisition scouts in Nevarra."

"Then let's hope the Warden-Commander decides to come to Skyhold."

 

Everyone convened at the Inquisition camp that night, so Dorian was present to hear Evelyn's discussion of the next step.

"Are you going back to Weisshaupt with Hawke?" she asked Amell.

"Maker, no. We only just got here," Amell said. "After this fiasco we need to be seen standing against Corypheus and it'll benefit both of us for the Wardens to be seen with the Inquisition."

"Fair enough."

"What about you, Varric?" Dorian asked.

"There's still business to deal with here, don't you think?" Varric said, although he was staring wistfully at the fortress where Hawke had taken on the unenviable task of rounding up the Orlesian Wardens and doing a headcount.

"Well I've been to Weisshaupt. It's not good: carved into a mountain, cold, dour, everyone so bloody serious they can't take a piss. You wouldn't like it," Dorian offered in consolation.

"Hawke would be there." Varric sighed heavily.

"And he is quite the ray of sunshine," Dorian agreed.

Cullen, having finished his inspection of the troops, walked over to join their group.

"You might remember our Commander?" Evelyn said to Amell. "I hear the two of you were at Kinloch Hold together way back when."

"Cullen?" Amell's jaw dropped a little as she looked him up and down. "Oh, Maker."

"Solona! I was uh... not expecting to see you here." Cullen's face was rapidly heating up, and Dorian suspected it wasn't just because of the nearby campfire.

"Perhaps we should leave the two of them to get... reacquainted," he murmured in Evelyn's ear.

"Yes, let's." Stifling a giggle, she stood up and quietly motioned for everyone else to leave.

 

"I couldn't help but notice you were doing some reacquainting of your own, Dorian," Evelyn said when all they could see of Cullen and Amell were two silhouettes by the fire.

"A friend of mine from Minrathous," Dorian said. "He contracted the taint when his caravan was attacked by darkspawn on the way to Hossberg. His father and I took him to Weisshaupt in the hopes that making him a Grey Warden would save his life."

"I'm glad that worked out."

"As am I. He's a good person, and there aren't nearly enough of them in the world."

Not to mention that Gereon had been completely devastated by the loss of his wife; Dorian couldn't imagine what it would have done to him if Felix had died too. Speaking of which, here he was now.

"Felix! This is the Inquisitor, Lady Evelyn Trevelyan of Ostwick. Inquisitor, Felix Alexius of Minrathous."

"My pleasure, Lady Inquisitor." Felix, ever the gentleman, bowed formally to her.

"Are you also one of those... not magisters?" Evelyn looked to Dorian for help.

"Altus," Dorian reminded her.

"That's the one."

"I was, but I'm just a Grey Warden now," Felix said without even a hint of resentment. "My father is still a Magister, but I'm not in the line for inheritance any longer since Grey Wardens are sworn to political neutrality."

"In theory," Dorian added. Why, one only had to look at who the current King of Ferelden was.

"In theory," Felix agreed. "The Warden-Commander would know more."

"Hm." Evelyn looked over her shoulder at the fire where the two silhouettes had moved closer together. Hand holding was definitely being involved. "Later, perhaps." She laughed. "I'm going to Nazaire's Pass tomorrow to drop off some research for Frederic. I don't suppose you'll be coming?" she asked Dorian.

"I'll see you back at Skyhold," Dorian said firmly. He'd seen more of southern Thedas in the last few months than he could ever care for, and would take every opportunity to sit out on being dragged back to the wilderness.

"Sure. We can catch up on some chess." Evelyn waved cheerily at them as she left, immediately accosted by people wanting her attention.

 

"I see you've been enjoying yourself," Felix said as Dorian headed for his tent.

"It's certainly not been what I expected when I came south to fight the Venatori," Dorian said, looking at the rows of neatly pitched tents as they passed by.

"And how is that going?"

"Great! You wouldn't believe how many people the Inquisitor kills on a daily basis. She's probably gone off to kill someone right now."

Felix laughed, a deep, warm sound that made Dorian feel very pleased with himself.

 

"Well, this is me." Dorian stopped in front of his tent and found himself wishing he'd taken a longer route. "I don't suppose..." He trailed off, unsure of what he was actually offering, and stared at his tent so he wouldn't have to see Felix's reaction.

"Actually, I should..." Felix sounded hesitant.

"Yes, of course."

Neither of them moved, and they both stood outside Dorian's tent until Felix cleared his throat. 

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said before leaving in the direction of the Warden camp.

 

"Well that was awkward." Sera's voice floated over from the next tent, too loud for comfort. "Who was that?"

"An old friend," Dorian said as neutrally as he could, not wanting to give her anything to use against him.

"Seemed like more than friends to me."

"We're just friends."

"Just so you know, he couldn't take his eyes off you the whole time you two stood there doing nothing."

"Fasta vass, Sera, mind your own business."

"Alright, your loss."

 

Alone in his tent though, Dorian couldn't help but think about what she'd said. While Gereon had been his mentor, Dorian had staunchly refused to look at Felix as anything but a friend. He'd been given another chance to be more than what everyone thought of him, and was determined not to squander it. Felix wasn't half bad to look at though and was even better company, and now that they were outside the confines of the Imperium, Dorian had discovered he was free to openly express his affections if he wished. But after so many years of keeping Felix entrenched in 'friend' category, Dorian was having a hard time thinking of him as anything else, couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was doing something wrong.

 

Dorian sighed. It was hardly the kind of thing to be thinking about after they'd just won such a monumental battle, and that wasn't even counting that bit of nasty business with the Fade. Dorian groaned into the folded cloak he was using as a pillow. So many more questions had been raised than answered, and the first thing he needed to do upon returning to Skyhold was head straight for the library. If he could find Corypheus' real name...

 

Dorian woke up the next morning unaware he'd even fallen asleep. The noise outside told him it was past daybreak already, and when he emerged from the tent, the morning sun hit him straight in the eyes. Odd, he couldn't remember the last time he'd missed a sunrise outside of Skyhold.

 

"Morning," Blackwall said gruffly when Dorian joined him at the campfire. Understandably, the Wardens' situation had hit him the hardest out of everyone in the Inner Circle.

"Where is everybody?" Dorian asked, sitting down on the log next to Blackwall, taking a moment to bask in the warmth of the fire. They were in the desert and it was still freezing; the south was ridiculous.

"The Inquisitor took Cassandra, Varric, and Solas into the Approach early this morning. Bull is training with his Chargers, Vivienne is speaking with the Warden mages that came from Weisshaupt, and Sera is no doubt trying to pull off another prank. Who knows where Cole is."

"We're not moving out today?"

"Cullen said something about everyone needing a rest after the battle. Scouts have been sent ahead to watch the road, but the bulk of the forces are still here."

"And just where is the Commander on this fine morning?" Dorian perked up, remembering the previous evening's surprise reunion.

"Speaking with the Hero of Ferelden," Blackwall said. His tone of voice said he knew exactly what Dorian was hinting at.

"Speaking, are they?" Dorian couldn't resist poking a little.

Blackwall rolled his eyes. "Last I looked."

"Well they were speaking last night and getting all up close and personal about it, so you can't blame me for assuming."

"You leave that man alone, Dorian."

"Who said I was going to do anything?"

"I've known you long enough to know you just can't help yourself."

Dorian affected offence and Blackwall rolled his eyes again, but he was smiling a little. 

"Besides, you can't talk," Blackwall said after a few moments of companionable silence. "I saw you with that Warden last night."

"You and everyone else, apparently." Dorian sighed. "Don't start, I got this talk from Sera already."

"I'm just curious."

"We're friends. There is nothing between us."

"If you say." 

After having something to eat and drink, Dorian went to find Felix. Blackwall didn't miss the opportunity to smirk as he passed by.

 

He found Felix easily enough; the silver and blue of the Grey Warden uniforms stood out against the orange desert sand, and the other soldiers were giving them a wide berth. They were training in two groups, one pitted against the other in some kind of teamwork exercise. Warden-Commander Amell was supervising them, calling out weak spots and correcting their technique. And who was that, watching them from the shade of a ruined pillar?

 

"Wrong army, Commander. The Inquisition's soldiers are back there."

"I - Dorian!" Cullen started violently, looking exceedingly guilty.

"How is their training going? I assume you've been watching for a while."

Cullen straightened up, not meeting Dorian's eyes. "They work well together. It is my understanding that the Warden-Commander picked them up from Weisshaupt fortress on her way to Ferelden."

"Tell me more about the Warden-Commander. You were in the Circle together, were you not?"

A blush appeared almost instantly across Cullen's cheeks. "It was... a long time ago. And we didn't know each other for very long; I'd just taken my vows shortly before joining the Circle. Her Harrowing was the first I attended. Not long after that... I don't wish to speak about it."

Dorian knew a touchy subject when he saw one. He nodded, content to stand by Cullen's side in quiet observation.

 

The Inquisition started returning to Skyhold in force the next day, the wounded that could be moved dispersed amongst the soldiers while some stayed behind to guard those who couldn't make the journey yet. In the Inquisitor's absence, Cullen took the lead, riding at the front of their army with the Hero of Ferelden at his side. She'd asked some of the more experienced Wardens in her group to stay with the Orlesians to help them rebuild while the rest followed her to Skyhold, staying close to the front to avoid the other soldiers.

 

Dorian was right behind Cullen with the rest of the Inner Circle, placing him in a convenient location to be next to Felix. Sera entertained herself by riding on Felix's other side, pulling faces and making obscene gestures at Dorian when Felix wasn't looking. Felix, bless him, either really had no idea what went on when his back was turned, or was trying his best to convince himself that this was normal.

 

"You’ve made some odd friends," Felix said after Sera tired of her game and went off to be a bother to someone else.

"They’re not my friends," Dorian said reflexively. Then he reconsidered his words. "That was perhaps a bit unfair, considering what we've been through together. You’ll be amazed how helpful killing high dragons and giants is in bringing everyone together. The drinking afterwards helps too."

"This has been good for you," Felix said.

Dorian looked over to see Felix smiling at him, the sun unhelpfully casting an ethereal glow around Felix. Dorian's stomach jolted a little. "Killing Venatori is so cathartic," he said, turning his gaze back to the road. "Now that you’re here, you should give it a try. Does wonders to help you feel like you're making a difference at home, weeding out the worst of the bunch."

"Speaking of back home, my father wrote me back," Felix said. "He says Halward has been telling everyone you’ve gone south to conduct research on the Breach."

"Truly? And they’re all buying it?"

"He has been telling everyone for years how important your education is to explain why he's allowed you to hold off getting married for so long."

"That makes sense then. I suppose they don’t care about the Breach either? Aside from joining the Venatori and invading the south."

"You know how it is: for now they're content to watch, and if the south falls to chaos in the meantime, all the better."

Dorian sighed. "I'm going to see this to the end, Felix. This is not going down in the history books as another mess Tevinter caused and left for everyone else to clean up."

 

Their talk soon turned into a debate about magic and politics, familiar topics that Dorian could lose himself in. Felix also seemed to enjoy himself, becoming more animated as they talked. Their discussion caught the attention of a few other mages and soon Dorian felt like he was back in the circle, engaging in heated arguments about magical theory and technique. Even Vivienne deigned to add a comment or two. Sera returned in the afternoon, but retreated quickly with a scoff once she realised what they were talking about.

 

A welcoming committee was waiting for them at the gates when they finally reached Skyhold. The army diverted down to the river where they were usually camped, but the Wardens came up to the castle where the whispers started almost immediately despite most of the crowd being held back in the courtyard. The distinctive blue and silver was hard to miss.

 

"Leliana!" Amell exclaimed as she dismounted in one swift move and crossed the remaining distance in long strides, arms reaching out.

"Solona!" Leliana responded in kind, the most unreserved Dorian ever recalled seeing her. She enthusiastically returned the hug before the two of them disappeared into the castle.

Everyone shifted uncomfortably, unsure whether or not they were to forget what they'd just seen lest the Spymaster start unearthing blackmail.

Thankfully, Josephine seamlessly stepped in to take care of matters. "We've put aside rooms for you," she said to the Wardens. "You'll have to share, but I daresay it's better than sleeping in tents."

"Thank you," one of the Senior Wardens said before the silence could grow too long. "Your efforts are appreciated, Ambassador."

 

Dennet complained about the sudden influx of extra horses to stable, but Dorian knew the man loved his charges enough to see them well fed and looked after, save perhaps for the undead horse with a sword through its head that was most certainly _not_ a unicorn, Inquisitor, please put it back where you found it. It hadn't harmed anyone yet, but Dorian wasn't going to go anywhere near it just in case.

 

After long enough that someone was ready to send out a search party, Amell finally remembered to come down to the stables and gather all the Wardens to show them to their quarters.

"I'll be in the library," Dorian told Felix. "It's round and sounds like birds."

Felix threw Dorian a bewildered glance before hurrying to follow the other Wardens out of the stable.

 

Upon reaching his room, Dorian immediately drew up a well-deserved bath, breaking out the bar of ridiculously overpriced soap Evelyn had brought back after a trip to Val Royeaux. Sitting in the hot, scented water, it was all too easy to relax and let his thoughts drift away from the events of the past few weeks towards more pleasant thoughts. His daydream went well up until the part where he was cupping the other man's cheek, leaning in for a kiss, several weeks of stubble rough under his hand, strangely reminiscent of... Felix?

 

Dorian jerked back to full awareness with a scowl and an erection that persisted even as he determinedly ignored it to finish cleaning up and get dressed. It wasn't the first time his thoughts had wandered towards companionship - plenty of well-formed men passed through Skyhold every day, and a few might even be amenable to an hour or two of intimacy - but none of them evoked the same feelings as when Dorian was looking at Felix.

 

But now was hardly the time to be dealing with this either, not with Felix waiting for him in the library. Dorian took the longer route to the library, the cold mountain air doing wonders to solve one of his problems, and arrived to find Felix sprawled in Dorian's armchair, looking out the window.

"I see you found the library," Dorian said, hoping he didn't sound too different than usual.

"I followed the birds, just like you said." Felix eased himself out of the chair. He'd cleaned up and changed too, and was wearing a loose shirt that wasn't quite done up all the way to the top. "Interesting location."

"Apparently, it never occurred to anyone that being directly under the rookery might not have been the best location for the library. By the time I pointed it out, they'd already put all the books here and no one wanted to move them elsewhere."

The looks on everyone's faces had been priceless when Dorian inquired about the merits of having noisy, squawking birds directly above a place usually reserved for quiet study and relaxation. Less amusing was discovering he would be stuck here for the foreseeable future.

"This is where you are when you’re not out with the Inquisitor?"

"More or less. Lots to do in the library when you're the only rebellious heretic archivist around."

Both old and new Quartermasters had given Dorian the same incredulous look when he'd tried to requisition some books for research. Thank the Maker Josephine and Varric had been willing to use their connections to get him what he needed.

Felix smiled as he idly traced the spines of the books on the shelf closest to him with a finger. "There’s a library at Weisshaupt too, but it’s mostly the history of Grey Wardens and manuals on fighting techniques and army formations."

"I think the Mages’ Collective sent us an advance copy of their book on rift magic," Dorian said, thinking of the unopened box he’d stashed under a table when the call had come for the Inquisition to march on Adamant Fortress.

"Rift magic?" Felix asked. "There’s a school for that already?"

"I could tell you if I knew where that damned box went…"

 

They had a quiet week as Skyhold waited for the return of its Inquisitor. The Wardens kept mostly to themselves, rarely leaving their rooms except for meals and training. Dorian failed to pry anymore information out of Cullen about the Warden-Commander, and the Wardens weren’t privy to their leader’s past either. Some weren’t happy about being holed up in Skyhold instead of being outside fighting darkspawn and demons. 

"They feel like we’ve traded one fortress for another," Felix told Dorian one afternoon.

They were in Dorian’s alcove, which Felix frequented whenever his other duties didn’t call him away. Of course, this didn’t help the whispering - the two Tevinter mages were no doubt conspiring to overthrow the Inquisition - but Felix didn’t show any signs of being bothered, so Dorian resolved to ignore them.

"And how do you feel about all this?" Dorian asked.

"It’s nice having time to spend with you. It's almost like being back in Minrathous."

Felix was smiling at him again, and Dorian couldn't help but smile back.

 

Evelyn snuck back in one evening around dinnertime, managing to seat herself down at the table before anyone noticed the extra addition. Cassandra, Varric, and Solas joined them soon after, looking tired from their journey but otherwise unharmed. They had a great story about baiting an Abyssal High Dragon for Frederic, and Bull voiced his very loud displeasure at being left out of the dragon slaying. At least something was back to normal.

 

Until after dinner, when the plates had been cleared away and Evelyn stopped them all from leaving the table.

"The ball at the Winter Palace will be held in less than a month and every one of you is expected to be there."

Next to Dorian, Cassandra made a disgusted noise. On the other side of the table, Sera lit up with glee, no doubt already planning ways to wreak havoc the moment she was left unsupervised with the Orlesian nobles.

"Josie's started preparations and she's been working very hard to get us all something to wear. She's even brought in tailors to take everyone's measurements so nobody will have an excuse not to attend."

"What about death," Blackwall muttered one seat away.

"Just try me," Evelyn said.

 

The ball hadn't been a surprise to Dorian - he’d even been looking forward to it, if only for a change of scenery - but what caught him unawares was when Felix came into the library the next afternoon in the finest-looking Grey Warden armour Dorian had ever seen.

"The Warden-Commander had them commissioned for us," Felix said, tugging at one of the straps on his shoulder. "What do you think?"

"What’s the occasion?" Dorian took his time giving Felix a once-over; just admiring the uniform, of course. The blue and silver did go dreadfully well with the griffon insignia.

"Ball at the Winter Palace? I would have thought the Inquisitor would have told you."

"She did. Just yesterday. How do you have something to wear already?"

"Apparently she and the Warden-Commander have been sending correspondence while the Inquisitor was still in the Western Approach. I hear you’ll be in red and blue."

"That's terrible. Who thought of that?"

"Something about it being traditional military dress and wanting to present a united front."

"She couldn’t do better than red and blue?" Dorian scoffed. "What about red and black? Everyone loves a good red and black. Or we could match you! Blue and white - wouldn’t we all look dashing?"

Felix smiled indulgently. "I’m sure whatever the Inquisitor comes up with you’ll manage to pull it off."

"Well of course I will. I’m just concerned about how the rest of them will look. Not everyone is as fortunate as I."

 

In the end, the red and blue wasn't all that bad, just extremely _Fereldan_. Cullen probably had a say in it. Evelyn’s plan was to have the Wardens attend the ball as a branch of the Inquisition, both to show off the Inquisition’s reach and to soothe the fears that the rumour mill had been furiously churning out. Gaspard was more than happy to accommodate - the two most controversial factions these days arriving under his invitation? Whether the outcomes of the peace talks were favourable towards him or not, at least everyone would be talking about him for weeks afterwards.

 

Only a few days before they were due to depart, Evelyn came sprinting up the stairs. Dorian would have thought she was running to Leliana with some important piece of information - or blackmail, because that’s what they were doing these days - but instead, she skidded to a stop right in front of him, piece of paper clutched in one hand.

"Dorian!" Evelyn said, bursting into his alcove. "You’ll never guess what Mother Giselle just showed me." She thrust the paper towards him.


	3. Halamshiral

The Wardens arrived at the Winter Palace with the Inquisition Honour Guard, currently missing its Inquisitor. She'd suddenly taken off to Redcliffe a few days prior to their scheduled departure, taking with her Dorian, Varric, and the strange spirit boy who called himself Cole. They'd left so abruptly Dorian hadn't even left a message for Felix, not even to let him know he'd gone. Felix had only found out when he overheard Ambassador Montilyet fretting about how Trevelyan had taken off with three members of the Inner Circle. Grand Duke Gaspard had not been happy at all when they had arrived sans Inquisitor, and it had taken Warden-Commander Amell personally assuring him of Trevelyan's imminent arrival that he had agreed to carry on with their plan.

 

The party arrived in Halamshiral as intended and waited for an hour before the Inquisitor and the missing members of her Inner Circle showed up, followed by a very stressed-looking Ambassador.

"Inquisitor!" the Grand Duke said with a sweeping bow. "I'm so glad you could join us."

"As am I," Trevelyan said, quickly bending at the waist in what was almost a bow. "Shall we?" She motioned towards the palace.

"Indeed."

 

Felix tried to catch Dorian's attention as they took up positions for the march to the palace, but Dorian didn't look his way at all, instead stared ahead the whole time, a carefully neutral expression on his face. Combined with the perfectly creased uniform and impeccably styled hair, he was the very picture of the Dorian of old that Felix remembered seeing at lavish parties back in Tevinter. He hadn't liked that Dorian.

 

The Inquisition Honour Guard stood in a straight line along the upper level while the Inner Circle and advisors were introduced individually, walking along the length of the lower level, on display for everyone to gawk at while they tried to pretend they weren't doing something as crass as getting caught staring. Felix was immensely glad that the Wardens were introduced as a whole group, only Warden-Commander Amell worth singling out as she them led them down the steps in two columns descending from either side. Her presence had been such a last minute decision that none of the court were prepared for it, the hall breaking out in a buzz of quiet conversations.

 

They calmed by the time the Wardens settled in line behind the Inquisition, no doubt in a carefully planned formation that made them look as intimidating as possible. They'd only had the week-long journey to practice, but as far as Felix could see, no one had made a mess of things yet.

 

Empress Celene and the Inquisitor exchanged pleasantries – all empty words they were nonetheless expected to say - before the Empress's attention turned to Warden-Commander Amell.

"And the Hero of Ferelden? What a surprise!"

"I was passing by," Amell said, "and thought I'd lend the Inquisition a hand. We all need to look out for one another in these trying times."

"Indeed." The Empress smiled, little more than a polite twitch of the lips. "We shall have to speak later, Inquisitor."

 

No longer directly in the spotlight, they were all given leave to mingle with the guests, keeping an eye out for any suspicious behaviour and being ready to respond if called upon. Dorian approached Felix with two wine glasses in hand, offering one to Felix.

"Dorian, I -" Felix started.

"There's no use in everyone staying here," Dorian said. "There's another room off the Vestibule that I think leads to the garden." He made for the double doors of the ballroom without ever making eye contact with Felix.

Trevelyan caught Felix's elbow as he passed. "Please talk to him," she whispered. "I don't know if I did the right thing."

 

It was completely dark now, and cold enough that the only people outside were those with suits and gowns that covered every bit of skin. They were clustered in small groups that kept well away from each other, no doubt out here to avoid the likelihood of being overheard. The whispers intensified when they caught sight of Felix and Dorian, the groups drawing closer together.

 

"Looks like we'll be the talk of the evening," Dorian said, sipping from his glass.

"Don't mind them. Are you alright, Dorian?" Felix asked.

"What was the last party we went to, you and I?" Dorian said instead of answering. "It must have been years ago."

Felix resisted the urge to sigh. "Magister Erimond's, I think," he said, playing along for now.

"And now he's a Venatori! What nice friends we had back in Tevinter." Dorian didn't bother to lower his voice, sipping his wine and smiling broadly as some of the nobles made shocked gasps.

Felix shook his head, mildly amused but not wanting to show it lest Dorian thought Felix had let him drop the subject.

 

Instead, Felix scanned the garden, looking for any points of interest. It was just the guest garden so it wasn't very large, surrounded by walls on three sides and overlooking a lower courtyard on the fourth. The garden's main attraction was a white marble fountain embellished with gold, water seemingly gushing out of the walls to fill a pool that contained a statue lying in the water. Most likely Andraste, considering they were in Orlais. On either side of the fountain was a lattice that spanned the entire wall, decorated only by a few climbing plants.

 

Presently, Inquisitor Trevelyan made an appearance, which Felix heard rather than saw. The Empress' ladies-in-waiting had intercepted her at the doorway while everyone else craned their necks in an effort to catch a glimpse of the infamous Herald of Andraste. Trevelyan immediately made her way over to Felix and Dorian once she had dismissed the ladies-in-waiting.

"Hello you two," she greeted them, ignoring the whispered conversations that had undoubtedly turned to the subject of her presence. "How's the party going?"

"Splendidly!" Dorian smiled broadly at her. "Just like being home again."

"This is how the elite of Tevinter carry on?" Trevelyan said skeptically, glancing around without turning her head.

"You could almost mistake this for a soiree in the Imperium," Dorian assured her. "The same double-dealing, elegant poison, canapes… it's lacking only a few sacrificial slaves and some blood magic. But the night is still young."

Trevelyan laughed. "Try not to get too drunk while I'm gone, we do still have an assassination to stop."

"You ask so much of me."

 

Trevelyan went over to the fountain to toss in some coins and was soon beset by at least half a dozen nobles.

"Let's go somewhere quieter," Felix said, placing a hand on Dorian's elbow.

Dorian sighed and most likely rolled his eyes too, but his face was turned away from Felix so he couldn't see.

"Very well," Dorian said.

 

Felix went back into the guest wing which was considerably quieter than when they'd come through earlier, given that the main source of entertainment was now outside. He pulled Dorian into one of the small side rooms occupied only by a few small groups of bored-looking nobles who didn't even look up when they entered. Some voluminous curtains shielded the two of them from their view.

 

"Is this to be an interrogation?" Dorian asked. He switched out his empty wine glass for a full one from a passing servant.

"What happened in Redcliffe, Dorian?" Felix tried again.

The smile vanished from Dorian's face, which immediately gave away the gravity of the situation. If it weren't so bad he'd at least plaster on a false smile, even for Felix.

"Magister Halward deigned to pay the south a visit." Dorian spat out the name venemously, teeth clenched. "He thought he could trick me by sending a letter - to Mother Giselle of all people - and pretending that he'd sent a retainer to meet me in the Redcliffe tavern." He was holding his wine glass so tightly Felix was surprised it hadn't shattered already. He gently pried it out of Dorian's hand.

"But instead he was there," Felix prompted.

"Mother Giselle passed the letter to the Inquisitor who then passed it to me, so at least I wasn't wholly unprepared. You should have seen the look on my father's face when he realised she was there. He was hoping to come and go without being noticed, I think. And then I shouted and he tried to apologise and I shouted some more and said some choice words and made a complete fool of myself in front of the Inquisitor."

"You know that's not true," Felix said.

"He thought I joined the Inquisition because of him! He thought I was here as some form of childish retribution and that if he spun a few pretty words of apology I'd come running home."

Dorian's hands were shaking slightly and Felix couldn't resist the urge to pull him into a hug. He put down the two glasses he was holding onto a nearby table and wrapped his arms around Dorian, who made a small sound of protest but didn't pull away. He held onto the front of Felix's uniform with a grip so tight it would surely leave creases, and rested his forehead on Felix's shoulder.

 

"He was going to use blood magic on me," Dorian said eventually, voice almost even. "He was going to alter my mind, make me... acceptable. I found his notes."

"Oh, Dorian." Felix hadn't thought too hard about what Halward had done to finally drive Dorian from home, but he would never have guessed this. Halward had always been a staunch opponent of blood magic, one of the man's only redeeming qualities from what Felix knew of him from Dorian and his own father. Felix held Dorian a little tighter.

"Then I set fire to his study and left."

"Good." Felix himself would have some choice words for Halward if he ever saw him again.

 

They remained like that for several minutes, holding onto each other in a dark corner of the Winter Palace as the ball went on around them. Felix kept an ear out for anyone that might approach them, but they all seemed to still be harassing the Inquisitor or minding their own business. Eventually, Dorian's crushing grip loosened and he stepped back with a sigh, smoothing out Felix's uniform.

"I'm sorry -" Dorian started.

"Don't." Felix cut him off gently. "There's nothing to apologise for."

He reached out to fix Dorian's hair, which actually didn't need fixing at all; knowing Dorian, he'd spelled it into place beforehand so that unexpected events like this wouldn't catch him unawares.

"Right," Dorian said, taking a deep breath and putting on a smile. He picked up the wine glasses and pressed Felix's into his hand. "Shall we?"

 

The Ben-Hassrath who called himself The Iron Bull insisted they take a bowl of spiced nuts with them when they passed him in the guest wing on their way back to the garden. It was emptier now, and Felix and Dorian's reappearance didn't garner as much attention as before. They sat on an empty bench to eat, just close enough for their knees to slightly touch. Dorian appeared to be deep in thought but not troubled, so Felix left him to his contemplation. Not long after, the Inquisitor returned.

 

"Do you think you could create a small distraction so I can climb up that lattice without everyone staring?" she asked them without any preamble, sitting down next to Dorian.

Dorian snapped back to attention, narrowing his eyes. "You want to climb up the lattice?" he asked slowly.

"All the doors to the second floor are guarded. Fishy, right?"

"I would have thought Sera would be your first choice for a distraction."

"She was! But she offered to throw bees."

"Of course she would."

"Bees?" Felix couldn't help but interject.

"She keeps jars of the little beasts and throws them at people she doesn't like," Dorian explained.

"Lately she's taken to adding wasps, I think," Trevelyan added.

"Let's not go getting kicked out of the ball so early, shall we," Dorian said. "Off you go, I'm good at being the centre of attention."

"Thanks Dorian, you're the best." Trevelyan went over to the fountain and pretended to inspect the plaque in front it.

 

Dorian stood up and dusted off his clothes, and in the same moment, a gust of wind blew through the garden, knocking one of the oil lamps off its post and into the lower courtyard. The trees below immediately burst into flames even though Felix distinctly recalled them being too green to be capable of something so spontaneous. Then again, Dorian had always been good with inferno magic.

"Oh dear," Dorian said, looking over with mild interest. "Fire."

"You do realise we'll be the main suspects?" Felix asked.

Some of the nobles had fled into the palace; others were standing around, staring openly.

"Of course we won't. This southern weather is so dangerous, you know?" Dorian said with exaggerated concern. The fire flared up a little, causing a few screams.

"Stop that." Felix reluctantly nudged Dorian, glad to see him in better spirits but unwilling to be the first person evicted from the ball.

"Evelyn made it up the lattice, I presume?" Dorian asked.

Felix glanced over Dorian's shoulder. There was dark figure moving in the shadows upstairs, and no one else seemed to have noticed, all of them transfixed by the fire. "Yes," he said. "So stop it."

"Very well."

 

The fire was eventually put out after several buckets of water and a surreptitious ice spell to help things along. Dorian made a few more flippant comments about the cold and the south, then they went inside to find proper food when Felix's stomach started making unhappy noises. They arrived in time to rescue Commander Cullen, who had been backed into the corner between a wall and table by a throng of nobles asking for dances and offering drinks.

 

"Commander! Just who I was looking for." Dorian reached into the crowd and physically hauled him out. "Inquisition business, ladies and gentlemen. Assassins to stop, a world to save; you understand." Dorian winked at them and they burst into giggles.

"Not enjoying the party?" Felix asked, taking a bite of ham. It had the strangest taste. He pushed it to one side of his plate.

"I think I nearly got married. Twice." The Commander looked a little shell shocked.

"We might need to get you a bodyguard," Dorian said, pressing a plate stacked with pastries into the Commander's hands. "Hold this. Try to look busy."

"Seen any assassins, Alexius?" a Warden asked as he came to clean the table of its cakes. Eryon Lanthar from the Anderfels, former farm boy turned Warden after his village had been destroyed by darkspawn, and somehow still naive enough that Felix wouldn't trust him anywhere near the Imperial Court. He'd stand behind Lanthar and his axe any day, though.

"Some trees in the garden caught fire, but I don't think that was assassins," Felix said.

Commander Cullen gave him an alarmed look.

"It went out eventually," Dorian said. "No harm done. Other than to the trees, of course."

"What about the Warden-Commander? She's disappeared," Lanthar said.

"The Inquisitor went upstairs to investigate. Maybe Warden-Commander Amell went with her?" Felix said.

"I doubt it. Unless she climbed the garden lattice too," Dorian said.

"The Inquisitor climbed the garden lattice?" the Commander asked in a furious whisper.

"Relax, Commander, nobody saw," Dorian said placatingly. "The trees were on fire, you see."

"I see." The Commander didn't sound happy about it.

"At least it wasn't bees?" Felix offered.

"Sera brought bees to the Winter Palace?" Felix hadn't thought the Commander could look more stressed, but there it was.

"I bet if you asked, she'd lend you some for your admirers," Dorian said.

"I'll pass. For now."

 

They ate and made small talk with each other, Dorian providing a running commentary on the outfits of the nobles around them. A few more Wardens came up and asked about Amell's whereabouts, the furrow in Commander Cullen's brow deepening after each one until he was looking more serious than a man holding a plate full of delicately crafted pastries at a ball had any right to. Eventually, a bell rang to call everyone back to the ballroom. Felix could see the red and blue of the Inquisition and the blue and silver of the Wardens coming in through the doors, but no Inquisitor or Warden-Commander.

 

When the second bell rang, Sister Leliana approached them. "You may have noticed that a few key players of our game are missing," she said quietly.

"Evelyn went to investigate upstairs. She may not have heard the bell," Dorian said.

"No one's seen Warden-Commander Amell," Felix added.

Sister Leliana nodded. "I think I know where she is. Or rather, who she's with. But I wouldn't worry about her, she doesn't need the court's approval. It's the Inquisitor who's under their full scrutiny. See if you can find her before the third bell. Fashionably late we can still play to our advantage."

Dorian nodded, grabbing Felix's elbow to pull him away from the table. "If everyone is in the ballroom there'll be no need to guard the doors, yes?" Dorian said as they headed for the Vestibule. "Either way, I'm not climbing up that lattice, witnesses or no."

 

Felix readied himself for a frantic search through the Winter Palace's upper floors, but when he and Dorian entered the Vestibule, they found both Inquisitor and Warden-Commander right in front of them.

"A search party for you, I presume?" said a woman on the stairs. She was dressed in a lavish red velvet dress and had a vaguely menacing air about her.

"Your Spymaster sent us," Dorian said to Trevelyan. "Something about being fashionably late."

"She's not wrong; the court is peculiar about matters such as these," the woman on the stairs said.

"Have you been avoiding her?" Amell asked. "You have, haven't you? Is this because of the dress?" Her face lit up.

"You need to get back before you're missed," the woman on the stairs said, pointedly looking away from Amell.

"I'll get that story out of somebody," Trevelyan warned, turning towards the ballroom.

"We'll see you later, Morrigan," Amell said.

"After you've saved the day, hopefully," Morrigan said, going up the stairs.

 

"Old friend?" Dorian asked.

"Yes," Amell said with a fond smile. "She fought by my side in the last Blight."

"Along with the King of Ferelden and the Spymaster of the Inquisition, formerly Left Hand of the Divine," Dorian said. "That's an impressive collection. Any other friends gone to high places?"

"I think Sten became the Arishok?" Amell said thoughtfully. "Zevran was an Antivan Crow and Wynne was a Senior Enchanter at Kinloch. And there was Oghren. He was a drunk dwarf. Probably still is. But now he's a Grey Warden too. I left him at Vigil's Keep, I hope he's doing alright. And Barkspawn! Dear Barkspawn. He was my closest friend."

"Bark…spawn?"

"He was a dog."

"Ah."

 

Trevelyan and Amell spent some time mingling with the guests while the Inquisition and Grey Wardens gathered in a corner of the ballroom to discuss their next move: Sister Leliana told everyone to keep an ear out for secrets or blackmail material that could be used to gain more allies for the Inquisition or to threaten their enemies into submission after the ball was over; Ambassador Montilyet reminded everyone to watch their etiquette and mind what they said to the nobles lest they accidentally offend someone or give them too much information; and Commander Cullen updated them on the status of the troops, who had now made their way into the palace and were in position, waiting to be called upon.

 

Trevelyan soon returned to take Dorian, Sera, and Cole with her to investigate suspicious happenings in the Servants' Quarters, leaving the rest of her Inner Circle to keep watch on the ballroom floor. Amell was reciting the slaying of the Archdemon to a group of avid listeners, hands making grand, swooping gestures, and didn't look like she would be leaving any time soon. Felix made himself comfortable next to the buffet table.

 

It was at least half a dozen songs and two plates of canapes later when the Inquisitor and her party returned, Trevelyan intercepted by Duchess Florianne before anyone could get to her. The others slipped away, Dorian reclaiming his place at Felix's side.

"Find anything?" Felix asked.

"The servants have all been murdered and a Council of Heralds Emissary lies dead in the garden with a knife bearing the Chalons crest in his back. Not to mention all the Venatori who were lying in wait to kill us. You tell me," Dorian said.

"Maker."

"I know. It's just like home."

 

The Inquisitor and the Duchess took to the dance floor, drawing the eyes of almost everyone in the room. Ambassador Montilyet in particular was watching the scene with a horrified look on her face.

"Looks like the Duchess is sharing some juicy gossip," Dorian said.

Felix looked closely when the two women swept past and sure enough, they were conversing while they danced, words lost in the music and the steps of the other dancers. Clever.

"Josephine looks about ready to faint," Dorian added.

"I'm sure the Inquisitor will handle things well," Felix said. Trevelyan didn't look concerned at all. "She is a noble, isn't she?"

"And she's been to some quaint gatherings in the Free Marches, I'm sure, but they have nothing on the Imperial Court."

"She's quick on her feet; I'm sure she'll be able to make something up."

"True, she has been doing that all along and things have been turning out fine."

 

When the music ended, all three advisors converged on the Inquisitor, engaging in a hushed yet heated debate. Trevelyan listened intently to them, pulling a face at something her Spymaster said. Eventually she shook her head and waved them away, pressing a kiss to her Ambassador's cheek before making her way across the ballroom.

 

"Ready to sneak around the Royal Wing?" she asked Dorian.

Dorian sighed. "Are we going to be changing clothes all evening? All these buttons are a nightmare."

"The Empress isn't going to save herself, Dorian."

"No one ever does. If they did, our job would be so much easier."

"At any rate, there's no rush. I have to speak to certain someones about a certain something first."

Felix followed Trevelyan's gaze to the Empress' ladies-in-waiting, clustered together on the far side of the ballroom.

"Wait for me outside the door, on the landing. And grab Sera and Cole, would you?" Trevelyan disappeared into the crowd.

Dorian sighed again. "Duty calls," he said to Felix. "Assassins too, I suppose."

 

Warden-Commander Amell approached Felix the moment Trevelyan left the ballroom.

"We're going the other way and meeting them in the middle," she said in barely more than a whisper, pretending to be examining a dish of jellied... something. Felix hadn't touched that one. "Leave the ballroom by the main doors and take the first door on your right in the Vestibule. Wait for me there."

 

The door in question had been roped off, but was unlocked. Felix slipped under the rope and found himself in a large dining hall, currently devoid of occupants, but the lack of dust on the furniture suggested it had recently been in use. Felix didn't have to wait long before he was joined by Rhuil, Lanthar, and the Warden-Commander.

"Here, everyone take some weapons," Amell said, moving some chairs aside so she could pull out a bundle from under one of the tables.

 

Amell took the ice staff, leaving Felix with the lightning one, which was just fine by him. Of course nothing would compare to using his own staff, but after a few experimental swings Felix found it to be serviceable enough. Next to him, Rhuil had strung the bow she'd taken and was testing its draw. Lanthar had retreated to the far side of the room so he wouldn't cleave anyone in two with his greatsword.

 

"Are we good to go?" Amell asked, staff in hand. "The Inquisition's Quartermaster supplied these; I didn't want to take the chance of you losing your own weapons if someone discovered our cache."

When everyone made noises of affirmation - some unhappier than others - Amell led them out of the dining hall into the adjoining kitchen, which was just as empty. The kitchen's other door opened into a small garden that must have been on the other side of the ballroom since Felix could hear music playing faintly.

 

The music increased in volume when they entered another room on the far side of the garden. To the left was a flight of stairs leading up, to the right a short hallway.

"That door leads to the ballroom," Amell said, pointing down the hall. "It's locked from this side, but if we can get it unlocked, it might be a useful way back into the ballroom. I have Commander Cullen standing guard on the other side."

 

Rhuil made short work of the lock and Amell opened the door just a crack, exchanging a few words with the Commander before she closed it and led them back out into the garden. They went through a different door this time and found Venatori patrolling the corridor, who seemed shocked to see the Grey Wardens there. Felix felt Amell's barrier go up around them and took the offensive, throwing chain lightning at the Venatori to delay them until Lanthar could charge into the middle of the fray.

 

The battle was over quickly, Amell's barrier holding out long enough to keep them from sustaining any injuries. Being a melee fighter, Lanthar had a few splatters of blood on his uniform and only succeeded in spreading them further when he rubbed at them.

"Don't worry about that," Amell said. "Let's go upstairs."

 

Upstairs was a chapel full of Venatori oblivious of what had happened to their comrades downstairs. Felix didn't even feel a little bad blasting them with lightning bolt after lightning bolt; if they hadn't been a disgrace to Tevinter before, they surely were now.

 

When the fight was over, Amell motioned for them to stay where they were as she went to press her ear to the door.

"Now we wait," she said, taking a step back. "Duchess Florianne told the Inquisitor that Grand Duke Gaspard's mercenary captain is in the Royal Wing Garden. That's an ambush if I ever heard one."

"You think the Duchess is behind all this?" Felix asked. He didn't know much about Florianne, but he hadn't heard anything all evening about her being a suspect.

"It'd be perfect," Rhuil said, "but I can't think of a single motivation."

"Corypheus probably promised her power and land or something. That seems to be what motivates most people," Amell said. "That and being on the right side if the ancient darkspawn magister does manage to become a god."

"But that's not going to happen, right?" Lanthar asked. "Because we're going to stop him."

"That's right." Amell straightened up and spun her staff in one hand. "Time to go."

 

Amell threw the door open and they ran into the garden where a battle was already taking place. A rift was open in the middle of it all, spewing out demons and shades. If they weren't currently being attacked, Felix might have been interested in getting a closer look. As it was, the demons were soon defeated and the Inquisitor closed the rift by initiating a connection between it and the mark on her hand, then snapping it shut.

 

"Marvelous business, isn't it?" Dorian said, coming up to Felix. "Demons coming out of tears in the Fade."

"It's fascinating," Felix said.

"I thought so too, but after a while, the novelty of getting bits of demon on you wears off."

Felix chuckled, consciously wiping off a bit of spirit essence from the front of his uniform. Dorian at least was out of his formal attire.

"Everyone move, we need to stop Florianne from killing the Empress!" Trevelyan shouted, gesticulating wildly.

"She's going to kill the Empress herself?" Felix asked.

"Oh yes, turns out she was in cahoots with Corypheus the entire time," Dorian said. "Now she's off to the ballroom to murder the Empress while we loiter here picking up after demons and mercenaries."

 

They all but ran back to the ballroom - no need for subtlety now that the game was coming to a close - and burst through the doors Rhuil had unlocked earlier. The Commander tried to get some information out of them, but Trevelyan simply strode past, decked out in bright red plate armour, one hand on the pommel of her sword as she took the floor, instantly drawing everyone's attention. The Commander was nothing if not efficient though, waving the Honour Guard - which seemed to have doubled in size from what Felix remembered - into position as Trevelyan confronted the Duchess.

 

It was rather like watching a predator descend on its prey, right down to Trevelyan's broad smile with more teeth than was strictly polite. The court held its collective breath, no one saying a word as they watched, entranced. The Duchess' bravado quickly vanished in the face of Trevelyan's relentless advance, and it didn't take long for her to be backed into a corner she couldn't escape from, both figuratively and literally.

 

"She plays the game well," Felix commented as the Imperial Guard escorted the Duchess out of the ballroom and the Inquisitor took aside the Empress, Grand Duke, and Ambassador for a talk.

"You're only saying that because you haven't seen her jumping off balconies and looting cupboards," Dorian said. In the time it had taken for Trevelyan to apprehend the Duchess, he'd somehow managed to acquire two glasses of wine.

"Really, Dorian?" Felix asked, even as he accepted a glass.

"Yes, we're celebrating!" Dorian threw an arm around Felix's shoulders and steered him out of the ballroom to the relative privacy of one of the adjoining balconies.

 

"What a night," Dorian said, cheeks flushed and hair finally a little askew. "All in a day's work for the Inquisition." He raised his glass in a toast.

"To foiling assassinations," Felix suggested.

"To saving the day," Dorian added.

They both drank, then Felix set his glass down on the balcony, looking across to where the fog rolled down from the mountains to settle down over the city of Halamshiral. In the background, the court cheered as the Empress announced peace in Orlais.

 

"You look lost in thought," Dorian said, resting his elbows on the balcony next to Felix, glass held precariously between his fingertips, dangling over the sheer drop to the ground.

"It's been a long night," Felix said. It had been a night that would no doubt be retold for decades, at least. And like most historical events, almost nobody would know what went on behind the scenes to make it all possible.

"There'll be more of them to come, I suspect," Dorian said. "Corypheus is still out there. But I daresay he won't try to attack again tonight."

Felix turned to look at Dorian and by chance managed to catch sight of the other balcony, where the Inquisitor and her Ambassador were holding each other close, dancing in time to the music that emanated from the ballroom. They were both smiling, looking deeply into each other's eyes.

"Then I suppose we'll have time for a dance?" Felix asked before any doubts could catch up to him.

Dorian scoffed. "I hardly think anyone-" He cut himself off and looked up at Felix, realisation dawning. "You mean with you?"

"Only if you want to." Felix glanced away nervously, unsure if he'd overstepped. Dorian had always been apprehensive about physical contact between the two of them, even more so since he'd left Tevinter.

"I do." Dorian took Felix's hand in his.


	4. Birthright

Felix was sitting on the sidelines waiting for his turn in the training ring when a familiar voice caught his attention. It sounded like Dorian... shouting at someone? Felix leaned backwards over the stone wall and sure enough, he could see Dorian standing near the bottom of the stairs by the gate, arguing with an Orlesian merchant. They were too far away for Felix to make any sense of their conversation, but he could clearly see that Dorian was upset while the merchant remained relatively unmoved.

 

It had been two weeks since the events at the Winter Palace, and since then tens of merchants - most Orlesian, some from even further away - had seen fit to make the journey to Skyhold to capitalise on the Inquisition's growing influence. So the sight of the merchant was not unusual, but Felix had never thought Dorian the sort to start a shouting match with one, especially not in full view of everyone. He tried to recall if Dorian had told him about any troubles he'd been having recently, but was called into the training ring before anything came to mind.

 

After training, Felix returned to the quarters he shared with two other Wardens to clean up before dinner. They were both elsewhere at the time, so at least no one was around to watch him start violently when he turned to leave and found the Spymaster in his doorway. He hadn't even heard the door open.

 

"Sister Leliana," he said as calmly as he could while he tried to think of anything he'd done lately that might warrant the personal attention of the scariest person in Skyhold.

"Warden Alexius." Leliana inclined her head in greeting. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you." She didn't sound apologetic at all; amused, if anything. "You are Dorian's friend, yes?"

"I am." Felix couldn't help but assume the worst, heart plummeting. "Did something happen?"

"Earlier today, one of the soldiers spotted him engaged in a heated debate with a man at the gates," Leliana said.

"Oh that," Felix said, relaxing slightly. "I saw it too."

"I was worried it might be connected to the Venatori so I did some investigating, but it appears the argument was over an... amulet? Dorian was attempting to purchase it from the merchant, Ponchard de Lieux, but I'm unsure as to why they argued."

"An amulet?" Dorian wouldn't stage such a loud and public argument with someone over such a petty trinket. Unless… "I'll speak with him about it."

"I leave the matter in your capable hands."

 

There was still time before he would be expected at dinner, so Felix stopped by the library where he found Dorian seated in his usual chair, engrossed in a book lying open in his lap.

"Dorian," Felix said, lingering just outside the alcove.

"Felix!" Dorian snapped the book shut and set it atop the tower next to his chair, standing up. He looked so glad to see Felix that Felix almost felt bad for what he was about to bring up.

"That merchant you were talking to this afternoon, did you sell him your birthright?"

Dorian's face fell immediately. "How did you even - Leliana, of course." He sighed and crossed his arms. "I didn't exactly leave home with much coin. So I sold it. I needed the money and I didn't want anything to do with my family. It seemed like the perfect solution to both my problems at once."

And it likely would have stayed the perfect solution if not for... what? A sudden bout of nostalgia? "Now you want it back?" Felix asked.

"When I spoke to my father in Redcliffe, he noticed it was gone. And I…" Dorian trailed off and shook his head. "Nevermind that. It's mine, and no one else should have it."

Felix unconsciously gripped his own birthright lying under his shirt. He’d tried to return it after he’d joined the Grey Wardens, since he was all but disinherited, but his father wouldn’t take it. "What's the plan?" he asked.

"I lost it, and I'll get it back," Dorian said, frustration evident in his voice. "I will."

 

Felix knew it had always been a point of pride for Dorian to be able to do things by himself, and resolved to give him time to retrieve the birthright himself. But two weeks later, the Inquisitor returned from her hasty trip to Val Royeaux and immediately retreated to the War Room, summoning Warden-Commander Amell as well as her usual advisors. Trevelyan's companions who had accompanied her were quiet about what had happened, gathering the rest of the Inner Circle in the corridor outside the War Room.

 

When the Warden-Commander finally emerged from the War Room that evening, she rounded up all the Wardens and extended an invitation to anyone wishing to go with her to Val Royeaux. Many of them jumped at the chance to visit the Orlesian capital, Felix included. Ponchard de Lieux had returned to Val Royeaux shortly after his argument with Dorian; perhaps if he wouldn't talk to Dorian, he'd talk to Felix. At the very least, Felix would have a better grasp of the situation and hopefully a way to get the amulet back.

 

They were two days out of Skyhold when Amell finally revealed her reason for the sudden excursion. The Warden who'd joined the Inquisition, Blackwall, was not actually a Warden, but Thom Rainier, a wanted criminal in Orlais hiding from his past under a dead man's name. He'd finally given himself up in Val Royeaux and was now destined for execution, a fate he'd apparently accepted but the Inquisitor had not.

 

There were a few complaints about rescuing a murderer but none with much heat behind them, considering how many Grey Wardens had been rescued from death and worse fates by the Right of Conscription, perhaps even some in this very group. What Felix understood was that the original Blackwall had deemed Rainier worth saving, and after much deliberation, Trevelyan and Amell had come to the same conclusion.

 

They rode into Val Royeaux, dismounting just inside the city gates but still turning heads as they made for the marketplace at a brisk walk. The day was overcast and a light drizzle was starting to fall, but the atmosphere was charged as hundreds of people gathered in earnest to see a hated criminal hang. Still, Amell marched them forward through the crowd, head held high and steps sure, even as people stubbornly refused to get out of the way or muttered curses as they passed.

 

The guard reading the list of Rainier's crimes had already stopped by the time Amell stood before the scaffold, and looked down at her in what Felix could tell was obviously disdain despite the mask covering all of his face.

"You know why I'm here," Amell said, raising her voice to be heard over the noise.

"You Grey Wardens go too far," the guard said, pointing a gauntleted finger at her.

The crowd shouted their agreement.

"Argue if you must, but it changes nothing. I hereby invoke the Right of Conscription. You will turn this man over to me."

The guard made a noise of frustration but nonetheless motioned for the executioner to free Rainier, who looked completely bewildered at this turn of events. "Warden-Commander," he began slowly.

"We shouldn't stay." Amell cut him off.

"You're not taking him without filling out the paperwork necessary for a prisoner's release," the guard said quickly.

Felix didn't know whether he was being serious or just stalling while he tried to think of a way to circumvent the Right of Conscription.

Amell just sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's just get it over with." She turned to the Wardens behind her. "Rainier and I will go with him. The rest of you wait here. Don't fight anyone."

 

While they had a moment to themselves, Felix looked around the various stalls in the marketplace that were still open despite the execution, no doubt hoping to draw some customers from the gathered crowd. He asked several merchants if they'd heard of a Ponchard de Lieux, and was eventually pointed towards a corner of the marketplace.

 

"Grey Warden!" de Lieux greeted him. "What can I do for you?"

"I understand you were at Skyhold last month," Felix said. "Someone asked you about an amulet."

"Ah."

Felix couldn't see much of the man's expression behind the mask, but his mouth quirked up at the corners into a small smile. "I am afraid the amulet is not for sale."

"Aren't you a merchant? Why not just sell it back?"

"It's not coin I seek for the amulet, but influence. Which the young man did not possess, and I suspect you do not."

"I see." Felix tried to think of any advantage he might have over Dorian in that aspect, but all he had left as leverage was his father, who would not be of any help here, so far from home.

"Perhaps if the Inquisitor were to hear of this, we could reach an accord," de Lieux said with a sly smile.

So that was what he wanted, was it? No wonder Dorian was so adamant about getting the amulet back himself. He'd always hated having to rely on others. 

"Perhaps." Felix turned and left, unwilling to listen to any more.

 

Felix couldn't stop thinking about it the whole way back to Skyhold. By the time they reached the castle gates, Felix had resolved to get Dorian's birthright back, no matter what it took. Maybe if Dorian wouldn’t ask for help, Felix could do it for him.

 

“Inquisitor!” he called after Trevelyan just as she was leaving the stables, having come down to welcome them back. “Do you have a minute?”

“Just the one? I suppose I do.” She smiled at him, always seemingly in good cheer despite the weight of the world that was surely pressing down on her.

“I have a favour to ask of you. For Dorian. But you can’t tell him.”

Trevelyan raised an eyebrow, looking a little wary. “Just what is it I can’t tell him?”

It occurred to Felix that this must have been the way Mother Giselle had ambushed Trevelyan with the letter from Halward. “I need to procure something for him. As a gift.” Felix quickly backtracked.

“Oh, that I can do.” Trevelyan’s expression cleared immediately.

“On his way to Ferelden, Dorian sold an amulet in Val Royeaux. His birthright, to be precise.”

“I’m not entirely sure what that is.”

“It's his family crest. Everyone of noble birth in Tevinter has one.”

“I didn’t know he cared about that kind of thing. I thought he left Tevinter to get away from his family?”

“He tries not to care, but he does. It’s important to him. But when I went to speak with the merchant, he wouldn’t sell it back, and instead asked that you speak with him. I suspect he said the same to Dorian.”

Trevelyan considered this for a moment. “Alright, give me the merchant’s name. I'm headed back to Val Royeaux myself, actually, to see a man about a duel."

 

It was just over two weeks later when Trevelyan came back, stopping by Felix's quarters in the afternoon.

“I hope this is it.” She held up a golden chain. On the end of the chain was the Pavus crest: a twisted double-headed snake encrusted with jewels.

“Yes, that’s it.” Felix took it from her.

“You can return it to Dorian at any time, I suppose, but I thought I’d just mention I’m off to see Leliana in the rookery now.” Trevelyan said. “I promise we’ll only peek a little bit.”

That made Felix unexpectedly break into a smile. Southerners really were more free with their emotions. “Thank you, Inquisitor,” he said, hoping she knew he wasn't referring to her last statement.

“Evelyn, if you wish. And there's really no need.” She waved a hand at him. “Dorian’s never asked me for anything that hasn’t involved driving back the Venatori, you know? It’s about time I did something for him.”

“You’ve already helped him more than you know.” It was good to know Dorian had others who were invested in his wellbeing.

“I’m trying, but he makes it more difficult than it should be.” Evelyn threw her hands up in mock frustration. “Who knew saving the world was so hard?” She laughed. “I’ll see you around, Felix.”

 

Felix found Dorian standing in front of one of the shelves, finger running along the spines of the books, head tilted to one side to read the titles.

"Felix!" Dorian said, straightening up when he caught sight of Felix. "So good of you to visit."

"I have something for you." Felix held out the amulet.

"It's… my birthright." Dorian slowly took it from Felix's hand, golden chain falling through his fingers. "How did you… why?"

"Because I know it's important to you, and you should have it."

"I got myself into this. I sold it because I was desperate. I wanted to get it back on my own." Dorian turned away, walking into his alcove. "What I didn't want is to be indebted to you or anyone else. Now I am."

"Dorian!" Felix said exasperatedly, reaching for Dorian's arm. "I got it for you because I wanted to. You don't owe me anything."

“I…” Dorian turned his head just enough to look at Felix out of the corner of his eye, “am apparently an incredible ass at accepting gifts.” He sighed. “Thank you,” he said, sounding as if the words were being forcibly drawn from him.

Felix couldn't help but laugh; some things would never change, apparently. “It’s alright to ask for help, Dorian,” Felix said, gently spinning Dorian around so he could pull him into a hug.

“Evelyn helped you, didn’t she?” Dorian muttered into Felix’s shoulder, arms going around Felix's waist.

"A little," Felix admitted. "The merchant wouldn’t sell it to me either."

"Meddling Free Marcher," Dorian said, scowling in the direction of the upper floor where Evelyn and Leliana were apparently deeply engrossed in conversation, staunchly not looking down into the library.

"She cares for you too," Felix reminded him.

From the main hall a bell chimed.

"Tonight, after dinner," Dorian said, pulling away. "My quarters." He smoothed out the front of his robes and didn't look Felix in the eye as he made for the stairs.

 

Felix took his dinner with the Wardens as usual, barely paying attention to the group newly returned from the Storm Coast as he tried to decipher Dorian's strange behaviour. Evasion was a tactic commonly used in social situations in Tevinter and was one Dorian was especially good at, but Felix hadn't had it turned on him until now. He'd always been Dorian's confidant, from back in the days when Dorian had been his father's apprentice. They'd gone from cordial greetings in the hallway to getting drunk together at all hours of the night over the course of a few weeks, and hadn't gone back since. After spending much of dinner deep in thought and coming up empty handed, Felix excused himself early.

 

Dorian wasn't in his quarters yet, but the door was unlocked so Felix let himself in and lit a lamp. He couldn't have been waiting for more than a minute or two before the door creaked open just enough for Dorian to slip through. He closed the door behind him, not taking a step away from it.

"So," Dorian said, fixing his gaze on Felix, "this is all very nice, this... business. Gifting, dancing, hugging. But let me ask you: just where do you see this going? What does the future hold in store for... us?"

"A future with an us, hopefully." Were they in Tevinter, Felix wouldn't even think of such things, but being away for just those two years had been enough to put all sorts of fanciful thoughts into his head.

"Is that what you want? A _relationship_?" Dorian asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Tell me this isn't what you want and I'll go now and we won't have to speak of it again." It was always hard to get a read on Dorian in matters such as these, but surely Felix had been reading his responses right. He'd been especially optimistic after their dance at the Winter Palace, but then weeks had come and gone with no more change than a few lingering glances and touches.

"No! I just... what if it doesn't work out? You're my friend, Felix, I don't want to lose that." Felix couldn't see Dorian's face clearly in the dim lighting, but there was no mistaking the pleading tone in his voice.

"You won't, even if it doesn't work out. But we'll never know if we never try," Felix said gently, staying where he was. Now that he had made his intentions perfectly clear, it was Dorian's choice to stay or leave. 

Dorian was quiet for a long moment, pensive look on his face. Then he took a deep breath. "Let's try this, to begin with."

Dorian took a step forward and Felix mirrored him, one step at a time until two of them met in the middle of the room, lips brushing each other, heads not angled quite right, hands hovering awkwardly.

"Not bad," Felix said when they broke apart. He'd had better but he'd make an allowance on account of this being someone he actually wanted to be kissing.

Dorian gave an impatient huff and put a hand on the back of Felix's head, pulling him in for another kiss. Felix relinquished control, resting his hands on Dorian's hips as he let Dorian take the lead.

"How does the bed sound?" Dorian murmured against his lips.

"Like a good idea," Felix replied.


	5. Doom Upon All The World

Dorian woke several times during the night, unused to sleeping in the same bed as someone else. In Tevinter he'd had a luxurious bed capable of comfortably sleeping three people, which had no doubt contributed to his penchant for waking up stretched across the bed. Here in Skyhold, the bed was nowhere near large enough to hold both him and Felix, which had resulted in them sleeping almost on top of each other. Dorian had already managed to elbow Felix twice and himself once – with Felix's elbow, no less – and he couldn't move his legs without getting them tangled in Felix's. Somehow, Felix was still asleep, face buried in Dorian's pillow.

 

The light filtering through the thin cloth serving as a makeshift curtain told Dorian the sun had completely risen and that it was time to get up. He shook Felix's shoulder.

"Hm?" Felix turned his head so he was facing Dorian, but kept his eyes closed.

"Time to face another day," Dorian said.

"Already?" Felix slowly eased himself into a sitting position, blinking sleepily.

"The Grey Wardens aren't morning people, I take it?" Dorian teased.

"Darkspawn usually move by night." Felix yawned and looked at Dorian through narrowed eyes. "I don't recall you being so lively in the mornings."

"Evelyn likes to beat the sun at rising. This is considered late."

 

Right on cue, Evelyn hammered on Dorian's door.

"Dorian!" she shouted, likely loud enough for everyone in the garden to hear. "There's something I need to show you in the Hissing Wastes!"

"I'm not falling for that again!" Dorian shouted back, reaching out with his magic to check the door was securely locked. "The last time she said something like that, we went to a bog. It was dark and wet and there was _wading_ ," he told Felix.

Felix laughed. "The Hissing Wastes are further west than the Approach. Why is the Inquisition going there?"

"There's treasure!" Evelyn shouted from the other side of the door, though she couldn't possibly have heard Felix.

"The world is at stake and she wants to go treasure hunting," Dorian said. "Unbelievable."

"Maybe if we pretend we're not here she'll go away," Felix said, already lying back down and pulling the blankets up.

Dorian sighed. "I really should see what she wants. Doing my part for the Inquisition and all. You can stay if you want." He bent down to kiss Felix because that was something he could do now, and got dressed with a smile threatening to break out.

Felix didn't even try to hide his, a content smile on his lips as he watched Dorian through half-closed eyes. "I'll see you tonight?" he asked.

"Providing Evelyn hasn't dragged me out to the Wastes already," Dorian said.

Dorian opened the door as little as he could get away with, which turned out to be a good idea as Evelyn tried to peer around him into his room.

"Is–"

"He’s asleep," Dorian said squeezing out through the gap and wrestling the door shut. "And I don’t see how that’s any of your business."

"I just want you to be happy, Dorian."

"I am. And... thank you, I suppose."

"It was the least I could do after everything you’ve done for me," Evelyn said.

"Right, enough about me," Dorian said before their conversation could devolve into something too heartfelt for this time and place. "Word is you went to Val Royeaux for a duel. How did that go?"

 

Evelyn had stomped around Skyhold in a mood for days after hearing of Josephine's engagement, and had complained about the injustice of it all to anyone who cared to listen. Once she'd calmed down enough to think of a plan, she'd tasked Cullen with arranging a duel between her and Josephine's fiancé. Cullen had told Dorian about it over one of their chess games, voice pitched low and eyes constantly scanning the garden as if Josephine was about to pop out from behind a shrub. Despite his discretion, Josephine had found out eventually – from Leliana, most likely – and had gone tearing off after Evelyn just a day later.

 

"Fantastically!" Evelyn said loudly, throwing her arms into the air. Some of the people in the garden looked up at them but quickly averted their gaze when they recognised the Inquisitor. "A huge crowd gathered to watch the two of us have at each other when all of a sudden Josie bursts into the middle of the fight and screams at both of us. Well at me, mostly. But then I threw my sword down and told her I loved her in front of everyone and I swept her into my arms and we rode off into the sunset together."

"Very romantic," Dorian said with a laugh, unsure if she was exaggerating or not. "You'll have to tell Varric that one for your biography he's surely writing."

"Of course. We can't have the best part missing." Evelyn sighed happily then shook herself out of her thoughts. "I actually didn't come here to talk about you or me, believe it or not," she said, making her way towards the stairs to the garden instead of back to the Keep. "The War Council convened this morning and we’ve decided to move on the Arbor Wilds as soon as we get word back from our allies."

"So you were joking about the Hissing Wastes," Dorian said, relieved.

"Not really, we just don’t have the time to go there now. After all this though, I definitely want to see what’s there."

"Here’s a guess: a whole lot of sand and nothing."

"And somewhere amongst this sand and nothing, treasure! Hopefully."

"You can count me out for that. If we defeat Corypheus, the last thing I want to do is to traipse around a wasteland looking for non-existent treasure."

"If we defeat Corypheus? Don’t be like that, Dorian." Evelyn unlocked one of the lower doors and ushered Dorian inside.

 

The room was long and filled with ages-old furniture covered with cloth and dust, dimly lit by the dirty window at the far end. In front of the window was a large mirror, about twice as tall as Dorian. As he approached the mirror, Dorian recognised the adornments on its sides, though only from illustrations in books.

 

"Is this an eluvian?" he asked, reaching out with one hand but stopping shy of actually touching the mirror.

"Morrigan brought it here. You remember her from Halamshiral?"

"Hard to forget, that one. What’s she doing here?"

"She thinks this is what Corypheus is after. There’s supposedly one in an elven temple hidden somewhere in the Arbor Wilds."

"Of course," Dorian exclaimed, feeling foolish for not thinking of it earlier, "he wants to get into the fade! What’s easier than using something that already works? It does work, doesn’t it?"

Evelyn nodded. "Morrigan showed me. Maybe if you ask her nicely she’ll tell you about it."

"I’d sooner try my chances with Solas."

Evelyn laughed. "Let me know how that goes so I can say I told you so."

 

Dorian headed straight for the library. He’d try to find some books to study first before subjecting himself to Solas. He was a veritable expert on all things ancient and elven, there was no doubt about that, but Dorian could only tolerate him in small, short bursts before the smug superiority started to wear down his patience.

 

Dorian was so engrossed in his research that lunch and dinner passed him by, and the rest of the library was dark and quiet by the time Felix came by looking for him.

"Have you been here all day?" Felix asked, the small flame hovering in front of him casting flickering shadows over his face.

Dorian looked out the window. "I must have, since the last time I checked there was still plenty of daylight left." He rubbed at his eyes, having been straining to see by the light of a small candle. Dorian huffed in annoyance and conjured his own orb of light. "Evelyn's new advisor thinks Corypheus is moving in on some elven ruins. I thought I'd do a little research myself before we made the trip."

"When are you leaving?"

"I don't know yet, Evelyn just told me about it this morning. But I hear it will be a bring-your-own-army event."

"Who's Corypheus bringing?"

"Hordes of our countrymen. A few Red Templars. The remaining Wardens who weren't at Adamant."

Felix grimaced at that, but his expression softened as he nudged Dorian's shoulder with one hand. "Go to bed, Dorian. I'll bring you something from the kitchens."

 

After a week of preparation and long hours in the War Room, the Inquisition marched on the Arbor Wilds, calling in every favour and ally they had. Only the non-combatants and Wardens were left in Skyhold – Corypheus was likely to make an appearance and it was in the Wardens' best interest to stay far away from him – with even the Inquisitor's War Council venturing into the field. The main force left first to cut a path through the forest for the Inquisitor and her Inner Circle; it was more than a little humbling to think about how these soldiers were willing to lay down their lives for the slightest chance of giving someone else victory.

 

They were fighting off approaching Venatori just outside one of the forward camps when a Warden mage sent a lightning bolt Dorian's way. He saw it too late to deflect it, the Grey Warden uniform still not registering as _enemy_ in his mind, but Solas of all people threw up a barrier between Dorian and the bolt, absorbing all its energy before it could reach him. Dorian turned to look at Solas, who frowned back at him.

 

Dorian shook his head and turned his focus wholly onto the battle. None of the Wardens here were on their side; how could it be any different from Adamant when they were cutting down Wardens by the hordes? Of course, at that time he hadn't seen Felix in months, and it had never occurred to him to associate the mindless attackers with his dearest friend. Now anyone in Warden mage armour caused him to falter for a moment.

 

There weren't many possessed Wardens left after Adamant, so Dorian avoided getting into any further close calls until they reached the temple. By then the party consisted only of him, Solas, Cole, Morrigan, and Evelyn, the rest having stayed behind to defend the blockades.

 

They'd just passed through the arches outside the temple when the sound of Corypheus' voice brought everyone to a stop. Evelyn, leading the party, motioned for everyone to stay close to the wall before moving forward slowly.

 

The overgrown landing where they stopped was the perfect place to observe the proceedings below without being spotted. The elven sentinels seemed to be holding their own against Corypheus, and Evelyn was content to let them handle things as she remained still, one hand held up to stay the rest of them. Then, there was a flash of white light and an explosion that reached them even behind the railing, throwing them off their feet.

 

By the time everyone had picked themselves up off the ground, it was quiet below. Evelyn ran down the stairs, only to come to an abrupt stop. Dorian, close behind, nearly collided with the shield she had on her back.

"Maker," Evelyn said.

Dorian peered around the edge of her shield and nearly wished he hadn't: the ground had been charred by the heat of the explosion, dismembered bodies of Wardens, Venatori, and elves strewn about. Across the bridge, Calpernia and a handful of Venatori had somehow safely made it across, but Corypheus was nowhere to be seen.

 

"That's it?" Dorian asked. "Corypheus is dead?"

"I don't buy it," Evelyn said, carefully picking her way through the bodies. "Varric and Hawke said–"

She was interrupted by a horrible retching sound from behind them. One of the Wardens was on his knees, his upper body curled inwards as if he was in pain. Then his head jerked upwards with a low groan, for a moment revealing his clearly lifeless face, then black blood began spewing forth from his mouth and various wounds about his body.

 

"It cannot be!" Morrigan exclaimed.

Dorian barely heard her, still transfixed by what was happening in front of him and not comprehending a thing. It wasn't until a clawed hand burst free of the Warden's body that he realised what was happening and started to back away.

"Across the bridge. Now," Evelyn said, her voice tinged with panic. She grabbed the two people closest to her – Cole and Dorian – and thank the Maker she did, because Dorian might never have moved otherwise.

 

Behind them, Corypheus roared and his dragon screeched in answer, nearly drowned out by Evelyn's hysterical screaming as she bolted towards the temple, reaching speeds greater than Dorian had ever thought anyone in plate armour capable of.

"Close the door!" she screamed when they were all inside, already pushing against one massive stone door.

Dorian caught a glimpse of the dragon bearing down on them, felt the heat of it fire racing towards them, then... nothing.

 

The door glowed bright yellow for a moment then dimmed. Everyone was breathing heavily from their mad dash and from further inside the temple there came sounds of battle, but they could neither feel nor hear anything from the other side, not even a slight draft that should be blowing in through the gaps.

 

"I think that's the scariest thing we've done yet," Evelyn said, sitting on the floor with her back against the door.

"You faced down Corypheus and his dragon at Haven," Dorian reminded her, offering a hand up.

"This was scarier." Evelyn accepted Dorian's help, clearly shaken.

"He was dead but he came back." Cole was perhaps the only one more disturbed than Evelyn, wide eyes peeking out from behind his fringe as he rocked back and forth on his feet.

"Oh Cole, I'm sorry, I didn't know he would do that." Evelyn pulled Cole in for a hug.

"His life force passes on to any blighted creature, it seems," Morrigan mused. "Darkspawn or Grey Warden."

"Then Corypheus cannot die," Solas said, infuriatingly calm. "Destroy his body, and he'll simply assume another."

"'Tis strange. Archdemons possess the same ability, and still the Grey Wardens are able to slay them. Yet Corypheus, they locked away. Perhaps they knew he could do this, but not how."

"I'm so glad we left the Wardens at Skyhold," Evelyn said, face buried in Cole's hat.

"Me too," Dorian said, vivid images of Corypheus' resurrection flashing through his mind.

"We should move on. Calpernia and the Venatori have a head start on us," Morrigan prompted them.

"Right. We'll figure out how to kill Corypheus after we're done here." Evelyn adjusted her armour, shoving her helmet onto her head with determination. "Let's go."

 

Their progress through the temple consisted of less running after Calpernia and more standing around watching Evelyn run around on magic tiles to light them up. After they'd learned of Corypheus' true goal, following the rituals instead of dashing haphazardly around the place did seem like the smarter option, but the slow progress was making Dorian antsy, especially with Cole in the background muttering "he was dead but he came back" over and over.

 

When they finally got the door open, they found themselves in a high-ceilinged chamber decorated by carvings and statues untouched by the passage of time, unlike the outer parts of the temple. Dorian, used to having the others keeping watch and allowing himself to be distracted by the magnificent architecture, completely missed the part where they'd been surrounded by the elven sentinels until everyone came to a sudden stop around him.

 

The elf who spoke with them, Abelas, told them a little of the temple's history which Dorian found moderately interesting, but what really caught his attention was when Evelyn asked about Arlathan.

"Wait... that's not right." Dorian couldn't help but speak up despite the precariousness of their situation, what with arrows pointed their way and what not. "What are you saying?"

"You would not know truth," Abelas said with a tightening of his brow and a slight downturn of his lips. "Shemlen history is as short as the pool of your years."

Oh great, he was going to be like that, was he? He and Solas would be best friends, surely.

"What did the Imperium do, then?" Dorian pressed onwards. "Are you saying it wasn't a war?" He was well aware how much of elven history had been wiped away by the Imperium, but this story was one that everyone thought they already knew.

"The war of carrion feasting upon a corpse, yes."

 

The revelation was enough to throw Dorian off balance for a while, but when they moved on he gathered they'd been granted permission to continue their quest for the Well of Sorrows and Morrigan, inexplicably, had turned into a bird and flown away.

 

They followed one of the elves, who banished cleverly constructed illusions to take them on a path away from the fighting. Eventually, their guide stopped in the middle of a room, pointing their staff at the wooden double doors on the other end of the room. Dorian could hear fighting on the other side; that must be where the two paths converged.

 

They fought off the rest of the Venatori that had managed to get past the sentinels, then burst through the door in the next room. They weren't indoors anymore, the sunlight hitting their eyes as they all stared in wonder at the well that could be clearly seen on the other side of the clearing. Below by the pool, the Venatori were making short work of what little sentinels were left to stand guard this deep in the temple.

 

"We were too late to help them," Solas said despondently.

"We can still make their sacrifice count," Evelyn said. "Calpernia hasn't reached the well yet. Let's go."

The four of them made haste down the steep path.

 

Calpernia was standing at the base of the well with her back to them.

"So close," she said. "The well knows its vessel, and those who would despoil it." She sighed and turned around. "Stand aside, Inquisitor."

"No, Calpernia," Evelyn said, but instead of raising her sword, she sheathed it and stepped forward. "We have things to discuss."

Calpernia eyed her warily but raised an eyebrow in invitation to speak.

"Corypheus is using you. Once you've drunk from the well, he'll use a ritual on you which will turn you into a mindless tool, enslaved to his will." Evelyn threw the scroll containing the binding ritual to Calpernia. "He tried it on your master, Erasthenes."

 

Calpernia's glare was so strong Dorian was afraid they'd see Evelyn burst into flames before them, but Calpernia read the scroll anyway, her suspicion quickly turning into frustration.

"He made so many promises!" she said, crumpling the scroll in her fist and setting it alight. "And every one a lie!" The ashes fell from her hand into the water. "He was to give Tevinter a true leader! To see her reborn!"

"Tevinter does need a strong leader," Evelyn said, "but it doesn't have to be him."

"You mock me, Inquisitor." Calpernia crossed her arms, taking on the defensive stance of someone used to being derided but still trying to stand their ground. "As if you'd let me walk away."

"It's a good idea," Dorian said directly to Calpernia. "Maker knows we could use a reformer or ten back home."

Calpernia turned her scrutiny on him before looking back at Evelyn, who gave Calpernia a solemn nod.

"If any power can challenge Corypheus, it lies in the well. It is yours. Vitae benefaria, Inquisitor. I go to confront my master. Then, I will return to Tevinter... if there is anything left of me."

They watched as Calpernia determinedly went to meet her fate. Dorian would have stopped her if he thought she would listen; Tevinter needed more people like her.

 

"She'll buy us a few minutes at most," Evelyn said. "Come on."

No sooner had she spoken than a bird streaked past them, Abelas in close pursuit.

"Morrigan!" Evelyn took off at a run up the stairs that Abelas had conjured to the well.

 

When Dorian caught up, Morrigan and Abelas were arguing while Evelyn stood off to the side, looking unsure of whose side to take. In the end Abelas relented, leaving them with final words of warning.

"Brave it if you must, but know you this: you shall be bound forever to the will of Mythal."

"Bound?" Morrigan said scornfully. "To a goddess who no longer exists, if she ever did?"

"Bound, as we are bound. The choice is yours."

 

"I don't particularly fancy being forever bound to the will of Mythal, real or not," Evelyn said, looking apprehensively at the surface of the water. "It's yours, Morrigan."

"You'll note the intact eluvian," Morrigan said, nodding at the mirror across the well. "I was correct on that count, at least." She waded out to the centre of the well, a blue glow enveloping her. When Morrigan raised a handful of water to her lips the well emptied, rushing out of the basin in a wave that had everyone bracing for an impact that never came. When it dissipated, the well was dry, and curiously, so were they.

 

Morrigan lay unmoving in the centre, but when Evelyn rushed to her aid she sat up almost immediately, hands going to hold her head. "I... am intact," she said after a moment, getting to her feet. "There is much to sift through. But now–"

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by an almighty roar that shook the temple.

"Through the eluvian, quick!" Morrigan shouted.

 

Evelyn motioned for everyone to pass through the mirror that Morrigan had unlocked, staying back herself to see them all get through safely first. Dorian wasn't sure what to expect, but it sure hadn't been tumbling face first into what should have been glass and then out into that little room in a corner of the garden at Skyhold. There was a strange sensation like passing through a sheet of water without actually getting wet, but otherwise he didn't feel any different.

 

Morrigan and Solas made it through the mirror most gracefully, likely knowing what was going to happen. Poor Cole who had run through the mirror had been nearly flung across the floor, stopped by a helping hand from Solas. Dorian stumbled but managed to ultimately keep his balance, and close behind him was Evelyn, whose armour clinked and clanked as she lost her footing and collided with the wall, the others unwilling to risk their fingers trying to catch her.

 

"This was not what I'd expected," she said, looking around the room. "So much for our triumphant return through the gates."

"But you are triumphant nonetheless, Inquisitor," Morrigan said, leaning heavily on her staff but looking very smug. "We beat Corypheus to the Well and he will not be able to follow."

"Thank you, Morrigan. For getting us back safely," Evelyn said.

 

The garden was deserted when they exited the room, and it wasn't until they were going down the stairs out of the main hall that one of the Wardens spotted them with a shout of surprise.

"Inquisitor?" he asked incredulously.

"Where's the Warden-Commander?" Evelyn asked.

"She's in the mage tower, I think," the Warden said, watching them go with a perplexed expression.

 

They crossed the courtyard and climbed the stairs to the mage tower, which was also eerily quiet. It hadn't even been this quiet when they'd first arrived, since in the time it took to scout the castle, most of the refugees trailing behind had already arrived, making Skyhold a bustling logistic nightmare. The sheer chaos had kept things lively for weeks, then once they had enough resources to start making repairs and being stricter in drawing boundaries, there were also enough people to keep the place active.

 

The first floor was empty, but there was a slight rustling noise from above, as if someone was turning the pages of a book.

"Solona?" Evelyn called upwards.

"Evelyn?" The rustling stopped and Solona's face appeared over the railing. "You're back!"

"We came through the eluvian," Evelyn explained as Solona came down the stairs. "Everyone who's not here is still in the Wilds."

"Then we should send them a message to let them know you made it out. What about Corypheus?"

"He was there with his dragon and it was all kinds of terrible. Come with me to the rookery and I'll tell you along the way."

 

Everyone dispersed, Morrigan, Solas, and Cole to their respective rooms and Dorian to the library. It was his first guess at where Felix would be, and he was right, as he caught Felix going down the stairs just as Dorian was going up.

"Back so soon?" Felix asked.

"We jumped through a mirror to escape Corypheus," Dorian said. "He's unkillable, apparently. We saw him die and resurrect himself like an archdemon. It was not pretty." A gross understatement, but Dorian wanted to spare Felix the details.

Felix took a moment to process this information. "But Grey Wardens kill archdemons all the time. Why did they imprison Corypheus instead of killing him?"

"I think Evelyn might be holding a meeting soon to discuss that, but we need to wait for the others to come back from the Wilds first."

 

Evelyn tasked Felix and Dorian with research over the next few weeks, hauling in every obscure book on darkspawn and the Blight that she could get them. Cullen, Josephine, and Leliana returned in record time after receiving Evelyn's message, and they holed up in the war room with Solona and Morrigan for hours every day. With what little people they had left, they set up constant guard rotations with instructions to raise the alarm if anything remotely suspicious was spotted.

 

They were so certain Corypheus would strike them at Skyhold that the shockwave from where they'd travelled from all those months ago caught them completely unawares.

 

"If that's coming from where I think it is, Corypheus has a much greater flair for the dramatic than I previously thought him capable of," Dorian said, leaning out the library window to stare at the growing green tear in the sky.

"He is Tevinter," Felix said drily. "Where do you think it's coming from?" He came up behind Dorian and looked over Dorian's shoulder.

"It's either Haven or the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Whichever it is, it still counts."

"That's where the Inquisition was camped before, right?"

"Evelyn walked out of the fade at the temple and Cassandra dragged her back down to Haven is what happened, I hear. That was before I arrived."

"What's he trying to do? Tear the fade open again?"

"Most likely. I think he's also waiting for us there."

"We're not ready. Most of the army is still in the Wilds."

"So is his. We've been chipping away at his numbers for months; there's likely not many of them left anyway."

 

Like Dorian had expected, Evelyn gathered everyone in the courtyard late that afternoon and announced they would be moving on the Temple of Sacred Ashes as soon as possible.

"Everyone capable of fighting is coming," she said, glancing at Solona who gave her a nod. "Everyone. We leave at dawn. Pack lightly."

 

Dorian caught up to Evelyn before she could return to the War Room. "Are you sure?" he asked her.

"We have no choice," she said, putting her hands on his shoulders. "But we have a plan. We need to hold off on killing Corypheus until we've downed his dragon. After that, he won't be able to transfer his life force when he dies. It will work."

"Have you told the Wardens what he can do?"

"I've told Solona. The War Council made a unanimous decision not to tell the others. There's no point inciting needless fear."

"That fear is not needless at all," Dorian pointed out, Corypheus' resurrection still vivid in his memory.

"Yes it is, because we will kill him, and he will stay dead." Evelyn gave his shoulders a little shake. "This is it. It ends where it begins." She sounded a little amused by this revelation.

"You've been reading too many of Varric's stories."

"And he'll have another to write when this is over. It might even have some truth in it."

 

It had been long enough since Haven that Dorian couldn't help periodically looking up at the sky as they rode down the mountain. The breach seemed bigger this time too, and more unstable. Given enough time, the two likely outcomes were either the breach exploding or collapsing in on itself. But Leliana's scouts had confirmed Corypheus was indeed at the temple, armed with plenty of demons but no Venatori or Red Templars. Leliana and Cullen had made the difficult decision to remain at Skyhold and fortify it in case Corypheus had diverted his army their way while he kept the Inquisitor distracted.

 

They travelled mostly in silence, Evelyn taking the lead, a shiny red beacon in the snow as the sunlight reflected off her armour. They were riding Skyhold's finest horses, approved by Master Dennet himself and guaranteed to carry them and their gear fearlessly into the valley and back.

 

They stopped just hours away from the temple to drop everything not essential for battle. Evelyn and Solona talked some vague strategies while they walked, but they ultimately couldn't plan for a battle they didn't know all the variables of. All they knew was that Corypheus was summoning demons, which the Wardens would take care of, while the Inner Circle focused on keeping Corypheus' attention and Morrigan went after the dragon. The Inquisition scouts were to keep an eye on the valley from higher terrain and immediately report the results of the battle back to Skyhold.

 

The closest Dorian had ever been to Corypheus had been in the Arbor Wilds, but his attention hadn't been on them then. Here, in the rubble of that fateful conclave, it was clear he had been waiting for their arrival, and had prepared a speech, apparently. Evelyn cut him off with a few choice words and a signal to attack, and Corypheus teleported himself further into the ruins with a growl of frustration.

 

The hordes of demons they'd heard about spawned from the breach to form a barrier around them, but by now the whole Inquisition was experienced at dispatching them. Corypheus' dragon tried to join the fray, but was tackled by Morrigan who had shifted form, and the two dragons raced off into the sky.

 

"Leave them, let's go!"

Evelyn gathered her Inner Circle and they chased after Corypheus. The Wardens closed ranks behind them, forming a protective shield. But as they ran up the stairs, the ground began shaking. No one took much notice until a fissure started forming and the people nearest to it gave warning shouts. What no one expected at all was for the ground on one side to start rising into the air, leaving those on the other side at ground level. Looking around, Dorian could see various pieces of the temple also hovering in the air in an imitation of the Black City they'd seen in the fade.

 

"Keep moving," Evelyn told them resolutely. Most of the Wardens and Inquisition soldiers had been left behind, but there were still enough of them to stay in pursuit of Corypheus.

 

The ground crew didn't seem to be having any trouble with the neverending waves of demons, but Dorian still couldn't help but seek out Felix. It wasn't until they'd climbed another flight of stairs and turned a corner that Dorian spotted him, fighting back to back with an archer as they tried to fend off a ring of shades that had converged on them. Dorian cast down a wall of fire to help them out, the most he could do from up here without falling behind.

 

Dorian tried to put his worries out of his mind because as concerned as he was about Felix, he knew it wouldn't do any good to be distracted during such an important battle. A loud thump and violent tremor that nearly threw everyone off their feet served to anchor him fully in the present. Morrigan had been felled by the dragon, unconscious but still alive. While Cassandra and Blackwall carried her to a relatively safe location, Evelyn shouted at the mages to catch the dragon's attention.

 

Dorian, Vivienne, and Solas hit it with a combination of spells from three schools of magic, which was enough to earn them its ire. Three barriers layered on top of each other shielded them from a blast of its red lyrium-laced fire, and shots through its wings from their archers kept it grounded. Evelyn and Bull charged the dragon while making as much noise as they could, allowing the others to move to better vantage points. Dorian's favoured fire spells would do little damage to the dragon, so he focused on keeping back the demons that kept trying to sneak up on them, and maintaining a barrier on those closest to him.

 

Through a combination of the best teamwork Dorian had seen from them yet and a large helping of the sheer luck that seemed to follow Evelyn around, they managed to slay the dragon without doing too much harm to themselves. The warriors were tired and battered and even the ranged fighters had sustained some minor injuries from flying debris and rolling to avoid sprays of fire, but it was still a resounding success.

 

"One down, one to go," Evelyn said, taking a swig of water as she looked up to the highest point of the floating temple where Corypheus was currently throwing a tantrum of world-shaking proportions.

"This has to work," Dorian said, mostly to himself, as he thought of the Wardens still fighting hard somewhere below them.

 

They took cover to catch their breaths and work out a rough plan for what they were going to do next.

"I'll lead a small party to attack him head on," Evelyn said. "Four of us, like we usually do. Who wants to come?"

"He and I have a score to settle," Cassandra said grimly.

"Same here," Varric said.

"I want to make sure we won't have a score to settle," Dorian said.

"Alright. The rest of you fan out and act like you're there to hold back the demons," Evelyn said. "Actually do, of course, but also be ready to turn around and take aim at Corypheus when I give the signal."

"What's the signal?" Bull asked.

"I'll scream 'now' or something. Or blow the horn. Or maybe I'll just scream. Whichever comes to me first."

The plan was vague enough to make any tactician cringe, but here, in what could be the final hours of over a year of terror and chaos, it was all they needed to fuel their desperate charge.

 

Corypheus and Evelyn did most of the screaming at each other while the rest of them tried to break down his barriers. Whatever argument they were having seemed to also be having the effect of distracting Corypheus from distracting the others, and they drew closer, all bearing down on the one target. A greatsword swing in the back was what eventually did it, knocking Corypheus off balance and allowing Evelyn to use her mark to snatch the orb out of his hands.

 

Orb in one hand and sword in the other, Evelyn advanced on him, in the same intimidating stance she'd used at the Winter Palace. She pointed the orb at Corypheus and used it to direct the energy of the breach towards him. The green light seemed to swallow him whole, and he screamed as chunks of floating rock began dropping out of the sky. The one they were on was still floating, likely powered by the orb, but when the orb shattered and Corypheus was gone, the floating ruin began crumbling. 

"Go, go!" Evelyn shouted, already obscured by the cloud of smoke and debris.

Dorian didn't know where they were supposed to be going or how high off the ground they were, but when he ran out of solid ground beneath his feet, he had no choice but to jump or be crushed.

 

Dorian vaguely felt his body being moved but couldn't bring himself to consciousness. It wasn't until sometime later when someone was shaking his shoulder and calling his name that he could open his eyes.

"Hey."

Was there anything better to wake up to than Felix's smile and the bright, blue sky? Dorian could think of a few, but none would be appropriate to be seen by anyone else.

"Hey." Dorian reached up to touch Felix's cheek. "Did we win?"

"We did." Felix clasped Dorian's hand in his own and pressed a light kiss to Dorian's fingers. "Look." He helped Dorian sit up.

 

The two of them were on a hillside of rock and charcoal by the road to the temple. Whatever had once grown there had been destroyed in the first explosion, and Corypheus' attempted recreation of the event hadn't helped the land to heal. But the breach was indeed gone, along with Corypheus and the demons. The dragon's corpse was still amongst the rubble; Dorian could see a red wingtip sticking out of the black ruins.

 

"Everyone make it?" Dorian asked.

"A few were injured in the fighting and a few more when the place started coming down, but we are all still alive, yes." Felix looked over his shoulder where further down the road, Dorian could see more Grey Warden and Inquisition uniforms. "Evelyn was upset about something earlier, though. Someone left without saying goodbye? Solas, I think she said."

"Damn, really?" Dorian knew they wouldn't all continue to stay together after all this was over, but surely it was a little premature to leave now.

"How are you feeling? I saw you falling and I cast a barrier but you still hit the ground rather hard."

"First of all, I wasn't falling, I jumped," Dorian corrected him. "And second of all, I feel fine. Thanks to you, I suppose. How long was I out?"

"You were awake when I reached you, but you didn't answer any of my questions. Then I moved you down here and you passed out somewhere along the way. It can't have been all that long ago; the scouts have only just come down into the valley with our things."

"Well I remember none of that. Let me try standing up."

His balance was a little shaky, but Dorian still managed to clamber to his feet and stay standing with a little help from his staff. Satisfied that he wasn't going to fall over, he had Felix lead him to the makeshift camp that had been set up down the road.

 

A large cloth tent had already been put up, and from the pained groans Dorian could hear coming from its direction he assumed it was their temporary infirmary. On the other side of the road, the Inner Circle had laid out their bedrolls and were resting or checking over their equipment, and further down the road, near the bridge to Haven, were Inquisition banners headed their way.

 

"I think Cullen's sent the army to bring us home," Evelyn said, looking in the same direction as Dorian. "Are you alright?" She looked him up and down, assessing him for any injuries. "We have healers and potions if you need either."

"A little sore, but nothing worse than our regular forays into the wilderness. I'll be completely fine by the time we get home." The word felt unfamiliar but warm in his mouth, and he truly was looking forward to some quiet days of relaxation in Skyhold without a sense of impending doom looming above them.

"That's good." Evelyn smiled at him, but it faded quickly.

"I heard Solas took off."

Evelyn sighed. "The orb broke when I used it to close the breach. Solas picked up pieces and he looked so heartbroken I gave him a few moments alone. Then I turned around and he was gone. No one saw him leave, not even the scouts."

It was out of character for Solas, sure, but Dorian was determined not to let it cast a shadow over their victory. "He's an adult who can make his own decisions," he told Evelyn. "For now, you need to rest so we can plan your triumphant return to Skyhold."

 

A cheering crowd greeted them upon their return, lining the road to the castle from the base of the mountain as they all jockeyed for a position to catch sight of their herald and saviour. What came as a pleasant surprise to Dorian was that they cheered just as hard for those who followed behind her, all animosity towards the Grey Wardens apparently forgiven.

 

"I could get used to this," Dorian said to Felix, who was riding beside him. "Being hailed as a hero. Wait until my father hears of this." He chuckled gleefully at the thought.

"Speaking of which, I should write to father," Felix said thoughtfully. "Tell him we're alright."

"We're better than alright. Tell him we're heroes," Dorian said.

"Should I tell him you're coming back soon?"

"I... ah, haven't thought about that yet." He'd toyed with the idea of returning to Tevinter in a blaze of glory and reform, but hadn't made any plans for bringing about said reform yet.

"We could go together as far as Vol Dorma."

Ah. There was something else Dorian hadn't thought of; he'd been so caught up fighting one major battle after another that it hadn't even occurred to him that he and Felix would have to part.

"I haven't decided what I want to do yet," he said.

 

Felix's innocuous question cast a slight gloom over the cheer that Dorian tried to ignore, torn between wanting to make a plan for the future and wanting to cast off all worries and indulge in the well-deserved celebrations. Upon their return, the main hall had already been decked out in enough finery to satisfy their Orlesian guests who were coming in by the dozen every day, eager to shake the Inquisitor's hand and offer congratulations and thanks.

 

Skyhold's regular residents were also similarly awestruck, and in the hour since they'd returned, Dorian had already been treated to gasps, dropped laundry, and _hugs_ from complete strangers. Fereldans were so bizarre.

 

They delayed the main night of celebration until most of the Inquisition's soldiers had returned and Josephine's guests had arrived. Evelyn made a rousing speech outside on the landing, then everyone dispersed for the celebrations. All of Skyhold was participating, from lights and ribbons in the garden to wreaths of flowers hung all over the stables. Food and drink was distributed freely and all kinds of music and dancing permeated the castle.

 

It wasn't until later into the night that Dorian managed to get in a word with Evelyn, who had been busy all day accepting thanks and congratulations and being introduced to anyone of minor importance.

"Will you be going back to Tevinter?" Evelyn asked.

"Not right away, but eventually." Dorian looked across the hall to where Felix was trying to assure a frazzled-looking Josephine of the quality of the wine. They made briefly made eye contact and shared a smile.

Evelyn followed his gaze and blew Josephine a kiss, momentarily distracting her from her worries. "At least the company will be good."

"And I leave you in good hands. Funny how things always work out in the end, isn't it?"

"It's been an honour, Dorian."

 

Later that night when they were much more drunk and more teary and cheerful at the same time, Dorian's return to Tevinter came up again.

"If you're not going to take me, you should take Felix," Evelyn told him. "In case someone tries to assassinate you."

"What a great idea!" Solona said enthusiastically. She turned to Felix. "You can tell Gerin that the Hero of Ferelden said you could go."

"Or even better, that the Herald of Andraste said so," Evelyn interjected loudly.

"Who even _cares_ about Andraste?" Solona shouted.

Evelyn sputtered indignantly. "Everyone!" she eventually shouted back.

"Don't forget who stopped the last Blight! In less than a year! The Hero of fucking Ferelden!" Solona had two hands on the table and looked just about ready to climb right on.

"Who just saved all of Thedas from a darkspawn magister? The Herald of fucking Andraste!"

"We're all big fucking heroes alright, glad we cleared that up. Now calm down," Varric said, attempting to mediate.

It didn't work, of course – "stopping the Blight was far harder than this and I would know, I was at both!" – but thankfully, Evelyn and Solona's respective partners were on the scene to gently guide them to bed before things could come to blows.

 

By the time Dorian finally called it quits, they were into the early hours of the morning. Celebrations outside of Skyhold seemed to still going strong if the bright lights on either side of the river below were any indication. Inside the castle it was mostly quiet, with just a few stragglers drunkenly walking into walls or knocking over barrels. Felix was a heavy but welcome weight on Dorian's shoulder as they staggered across the garden to Dorian's room, drunk and half asleep.

 

A wave of his hand unlocked the door, much easier to manoeuvre than a key in a lock, for which Dorian was infinitely grateful. Felix was on the bed in an instant, only pausing to kick his boots off and not bothering to undress at all. Dorian, who couldn't stand going to bed without cleaning up first, laid his clothes over the back of a chair and washed up at the small basin.

 

When he returned to his bed, Dorian found Felix muttering travel plans to his pillow, eyes already closed and limbs slack.

"Go to sleep, Felix. We can change the world tomorrow." Dorian settled on the bed behind Felix and pulled him close, burying his face into Felix's shoulder. Perhaps it was the alcohol or lingering exhilaration from celebrating their victory, but something gave Dorian the courage to murmur "I love you" into Felix's back.

It was hardly the most romantic declaration of love and certainly nothing like Evelyn's loud and public duel for Josephine's affections, but he meant it, even if he wasn't sure he'd intended for Felix to hear it.

"I love you too," Felix sleepily mumbled back, reaching up to intertwine his fingers with Dorian's.

In some ways, that felt like the bigger victory.


End file.
